Pristina, May 19, 2024
The Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, welcomed today the Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, Elizabeth Allen, from the U.S. Department of State.
He welcomed Under Secretary Allen, who is visiting Kosovo for the first time. “The United States of America have been, are, and will be our historical, current, and future ally, friend, and partner, so we anticipate enhancing and intensifying bilateral cooperation, particularly in the economic and trade fields,” highlighted the Prime Minister at the outset of the meeting, while expressing appreciation and gratitude for the assistance, role, and contribution of the United States to the liberation, independence, and development of the Republic of Kosovo.
During the conversation, Prime Minister Kurti briefed Under Secretary Allen on recent developments in the country, the progress made in recent years in the rule of law and economic and democratic indicators, the social policies supporting women and children, the education reform aiming to link education with the labor market, and the policies and investments in the energy sector. For the latter, he thanked Under Secretary Allen for the continuous support of the United States through USAID in the successful preparation and completion of the first solar energy auction and the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) Compact program, which entered into force at the end of last month. At the meeting, the Prime Minister raised his worry about Serbia’s continuous threats towards Kosovo, also due to the fact that the mastermind and leader of the terrorist and paramilitary group that executed the attack on September 24, 2023 in Banjska, Milan Radoicic, remains free in Serbia.
They also discussed the Kosovo-Serbia relations and the EU-mediated dialogue process. On this matter, Prime Minister Kurti stressed the significance of complete and unconditional implementation of the Basic Agreement and its Annex.
Regarding Kosovo’s journey towards European integration, he expressed his regret that the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe was not willing to include Kosovo in the voting agenda of May 17, considering that Kosovo has met all the membership criteria in this organization, as confirmed by the organization’s own bodies, including the Parliamentary Assembly, and when it is known that our membership would contribute to the strengthening and promotion of human rights.
Throughout the day, the Republic of Kosovo and the United States of America signed an agreement of understanding against the manipulation of information by foreign states.
Last modified: May 20, 2024