Who’s Who – Colleen Hyland: The U.S. Diplomat who opposed Pristina’s decisions

Yesterday was the last working day for Gabriel Escobar as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for the Western Balkans. Today, he has been replaced by Colleen Hyland, a career diplomat who is well acquainted with the Western Balkans. She has served in Kosovo twice and has openly opposed Pristina’s unilateral actions, including tariff increases, the ban on Serbian imports, and the abolition of the dinar.

Hyland assumed this position from her previous role as Director of the Office for South and Central Europe (Western Balkans), where she had been serving since September 2023.

At the third regional “Balkanomics” conference, held last year in Tirana, she highlighted corruption as a key issue in the Western Balkans.

"Corruption must be kept under control because laws must be updated and aligned with EU standards. You need that focus and determination, and we will support you in that," Hyland stated.

She also explained that regional cooperation in attracting investments and the creation of a common market are crucial for the region’s stability and progress.

"It is important to first integrate as a region and then become an integral part of the European common market. This is particularly important for Albania, North Macedonia, and Kosovo. These countries would be under pressure if they tried to enter this common market individually. It would be very difficult for them to be competitive," Hyland emphasized on the platform "X."

She also stressed the fight against corruption in 2018 during a conversation with then-Kosovo Interior Minister Ekrem Mustafa.

A statement following their meeting noted that both parties agreed that institutions would continue their commitment to fighting terrorism and maintaining security and stability in Kosovo. Hyland stated that the U.S. would continue to support capacity building for Kosovo's law enforcement institutions, emphasizing the importance of the rule of law and anti-corruption efforts.

She was much more specific in late 2023 during a discussion with a delegation from the American Chamber of Commerce in Kosovo.

Representatives of the Chamber expressed concern and reiterated the urgency of lifting the ban on Serbian imports, citing its negative impact on American and other companies.

"Director Hyland acknowledged the Chamber’s assessments of the harmful effects of the import ban on both citizens and businesses. Speaking about prospects for attracting investments, she recommended that Kosovo take proactive measures to enhance its international brand. She also highlighted the significant role of normalizing relations between Kosovo and Serbia, emphasizing that this would greatly contribute to creating a favorable environment for economic growth," the Chamber's statement read.

At the beginning of last year, during an official visit to Washington, the mayor of Strpce, Dalibor Jevtic, also met with Hyland.

The dominant topic of their discussion was the decision to abolish the dinar and its consequences.

Jevtic presented data on the number of recipients of various categories of salaries, pensions, social benefits, scholarships, and other financial support from the Republic of Serbia, which essentially sustains the remaining Serbian population in Kosovo economically. They also discussed the situation in Serb-majority municipalities and the position of Serbs in areas where they are a minority.

"At the end of the meeting, Jevtic thanked Hyland for her very clear stance on Pristina’s decision to abolish the dinar and concluded that it is high time to put an end to such and similar actions by the Kosovo government, as they aim to dismantle the multiethnic society in Kosovo," a statement following the visit said.

However, Hyland has previously opposed Pristina's unilateral measures as well.

After Kosovo increased tariffs on Serbian imports in 2018, she—then the U.S. Embassy’s chargé d’affaires in Pristina—stated on "X" that Kosovo gained nothing from raising tariffs against other CEFTA member states.

"Increasing obligations on other CEFTA members brings no benefits to Kosovo. It only creates business uncertainty and economic instability. It would be better to invest more effort in securing a prosperous future through dialogue," Hyland wrote.

The new Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for the Western Balkans has served in Kosovo twice.

First, as an advisor from 2007 to 2009, and later as Deputy Chief of Mission from 2016 to 2019.

In the meantime, she dealt with “lighter” topics.

From 2011 to 2012, she was in Kabul, Afghanistan, serving as Deputy Director-Coordinator for Development and Economic Affairs at the U.S. Embassy.

From 2019 to 2023, she worked at the U.S. Mission to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in Paris.

Media reports indicate that she also worked at the U.S. Embassy in Iraq at some point, though her LinkedIn biography does not mention this.

However, it does state that she speaks Albanian in addition to French and Spanish.

She studied Albanian for 11 months as part of a training program conducted by the U.S. government for its diplomats and obtained a certificate in 2016.

She earned her master’s degree in National Security and Strategic Studies in 2013 from the U.S. Naval War College—the oldest institution of its kind in the world specializing in international law research.