Prishtina, 10 January, 2025
The Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, together with the First Deputy Prime Minister, Besnik Bislimi, and the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, Kreshnik Ahmeti, welcomed during the day the Deputy Secretary of the United States of America for Management and Resources, Richard Verma, accompanied by the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the United States for the Western Balkans, Alexander Kasanof.
Welcoming him on this first visit to Kosovo, Prime Minister Kurti expressed his gratitude for the unwavering support of the United States to Kosovo and for the partnership between our two countries in all stages of state-building, as our main and strategic ally.
This meeting, which took place at the Prime Minister’s Office, was held after the launch of the first phase of the pre-qualification for the design and construction of battery energy storage systems (BESS) under the agreement with the Millennium Challenge Corporation worth 236.7 million dollars. In this context, Prime Minister Kurti thanked the United States for their support and assistance in the framework of energy projects.
They also discussed the bilateral relations between our two countries, new opportunities for their advancement and deepening, and the benefits of the Strategic Dialogue. The rapid actions taken by the Republic of Kosovo to host Afghan refugees and the alignment with the United States of America and the European Union in condemning and sanctioning Russia’s aggression against Ukraine were also emphasized.
Prime Minister Kurti informed Deputy Secretary Verma about the development and progress that Kosovo has experienced in the last four years, as we remain oriented towards the strategic goals of membership in NATO and the EU. With economic growth on one side and democratic progress on the other, Kosovo has proven that economic development and democratic progress go hand in hand, the Prime Minister said.
The meeting also discussed regional cooperation, neighborly relations and the European Union-mediated dialogue process for the normalization of relations with Serbia. The Prime Minister emphasized Serbia’s continued violations of the Basic Agreement, which result from its non-signature and the implementation annex, as well as the failure to hand over the terrorist leader Milan Radoićić and his group responsible for the terrorist attack in Banjska, Zvečan in September 2023, which killed Kosovo Police Sergeant Afrim Bunjaku.
Last modified: January 13, 2025