Balkan energy markets are small by world standards, but their location gives them great strategic significance. An opportunity now exists for the United States and the EU to orchestrate solutions that would bring a long-desired southern gas corridor through Azerbaijan and Turkey to the Balkans, or U.S. shale and liquefied natural gas to the region.

Energy remains a geopolitical instrument, and the West can move to supplant Russia’s subversive and corrupting influence through secure, realistically priced energy supplies that could strongly accelerate the integration of the Balkans, and even states like Azerbaijan, into Europe and the West.

This is not the only opportunity available to the West. Given Serbia’s decision to seek EU membership, the West should commence discreet discussions with Belgrade to determine whether it is interested in following Croatia into NATO.