The Atlantic Council’s Future Europe Initiative held an invitation-only dinner with H.E. Ditmir Bushati, Foreign Minister of Albania, on Thursday, February 25, 2016. March 2016 marks the 25th anniversary of the reestablishment of diplomatic relations between Albania and the United States. Over this quarter century, Albania has made strides in Euro-Atlantic integration, joining NATO in 2009, formalizing the US-Albania Strategic Partnership in 2015, and progressing towards European Union membership. In the run up to the Warsaw Summit, Montenegro’s recent invitation to join NATO has once again shone the spotlight on integration of the Western Balkans, yet corruption, unemployment, refugees, and Russian influence continue to challenge stability in the region. Foreign Minister Bushati discussed the Western Balkans’ path towards deeper Euro-Atlantic integration and a more strategic relationship with the United States in addressing regional and global security challenges. Mr. Bushati is the former chair of the Parliamentary Committee on European Integration and, prior to his political career, was a leading civil society activist.