Prishtina, 30 July 2022
The speech of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, at the press conference after the official visit to the United States of America:
Thank you, president,
Thank you, dear journalists, media workers who have responded positively to our invitation for this press conference here at the International Airport of Prishtina “Adem Jashari” and at the same time we are glad to have found you, since after our return from the United States of America, we are meeting you first.
It was an excellent and very fruitful visit. On the one hand, we had the signing of the agreement with the United States of America, namely the “Compact” program with the Millennium Challenge Corporation, worth over 200 million dollars, and on the other hand, the extremely cordial and useful meeting for our country and bilateral relations with the American Secretary of State, Mr. Antony Blinken.
In the “Compact” program, as we explained earlier together with the Minister of Economy, Artane Rizvanolli, a grant of over 200 million dollars is foreseen, so it is not a question of a loan that must be returned, it is a question of a grant which given to our country for the energy sector, with special emphasis on storage batteries, and also on training and raising professional skills in the energy sector, with emphasis on the participation of women.
You know that we are going to focus on renewable sources, and precisely the focus on renewable sources that according to the “Energy Strategy 2022 – 2031”, goes up to 1400 megawatts in the coming years, and we even hope to exceed this number, there is a need for storage batteries.
Therefore, the renewable resources that we will focus on will need storage batteries and we are very fortunate that MCC, the Millennium Challenge Corporation has come to our aid precisely in this very important aspect for the independence of energy generation against the ever-increasing consumption, also due to the growing economy in the Republic of Kosovo.
As President Osmani also said, the meeting with Secretary Blinken was very special, because on the one hand it is a confirmation of our strong alliance, of our broad partnership, of our deep friendship, but on the other hand it is also the opening of a the new chapter where the democratic reforms in Kosovo and the challenges facing not only Kosovo but the entire continent, due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, require an increase in the cooperation of the Republic of Kosovo with the United States of America.
And we aim for this both in terms of defense and security, as well as in terms of international integration and without forgetting investments in the economy, American investments, which we will work to increase, and we are very confident that the agreement on the grant on 200 million from the MCC will contribute in this direction.
At a time when Kosovo is the most pro-democratic, pro-European, pro-American country in the Western Balkans, this visit takes on added value, because it is also the recognition and thanks of the United States of America that Kosovo is proving itself as a success story of the NATO intervention, where that intervention was led by the United States of America, and of the economic development that goes together with a quality democracy.
So, the United States of America highly appreciates the progress in Kosovo. Meanwhile, at the meeting, today, and every day, we are very grateful and thankful to the United States of America for their unsparing and unreserved help, support in every phase of our democratic state building and our socio-economic development.
In the end, I want to emphasize that in the coming weeks, months and years we must see how to unite the institutional responsibilities with society, with the communities in Kosovo and with all the projects and processes, so that the time lost in the past is quickly compensated, because we must increase our efforts in order for Kosovo to face this multiple crisis as successfully as possible.
You know that on the one hand it cannot be said that the COVID-19 pandemic is over, while on the other hand it does not seem anywhere that the war in Ukraine is over. Therefore, we must be very careful, very vigilant to join forces, and the consequences of this multiple crisis are felt as little as possible. And here we see our domestic commitment, the role of the United States of America, and our bridge of multidimensional cooperation as crucial to success going forward.
Once again, we thank all the citizens of the Republic of Kosovo, who have made Kosovo a country that is praised everywhere for its successes and for the quality of pro-Western democratic values that prevail in our country.
Last modified: August 1, 2022