WATERBURY – U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on European Affairs, announced today that he will travel to Kosovo, Serbia, Croatia, Albania, and Montenegro. Murphy will meet with government officials and civil society in each country to discuss and strengthen their relationships with the United States. Murphy will arrive in the region on October 14th.


During the official travel, Murphy will hold meetings with government officials to reiterate the United States’ support for the Balkan region’s integration into the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. He will support the continued normalization of relations between Serbia and Kosovo, the importance of transparency and rule of law for economic growth, and discuss how the United States can strengthen the region’s energy security and assist in the recovery from severe floods this past spring and summer.


Murphy will also meet with officials and non-governmental organizations to discuss opportunities for Connecticut businesses to export goods to the region. Specifically, Murphy will meet with Defense Ministers and the American Chamber of Commerce to discuss the potential for Connecticut businesses to export defense materials and other goods to the countries.


In advance of Murphy’s official travel, he will meet with the Albanian community in Waterbury, Connecticut in order to bring specific feedback from the people of Connecticut to public officials in the Western Balkans.