Kosovo receives support from USAID in the amount of 34.5 million dollars

2024-08-22 21:40:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Kosovo and the American Agency for International Development (USAID) signed the agreement for the grant, which provides additional assistance to the institutions of Kosovo in the amount of 34.5 million dollars.

The additional funds of 34.5 million dollars are part of the agreement reached earlier, which reaches the value of 146.2 million dollars, which according to the president of Kosovo, Vjosa Osmani, - who signed the grant on behalf of Kosovo - aims to provide better services to citizens, increase the accountability of institutions and enable effective governance.

"The agreement we just signed with the USA, with USAID is also a reaffirmation towards our common vision, towards a better and more stable future for all our citizens", said Osmani during a media conference with the American ambassador in Kosovo, Jeffrey Hovenier, on August 21.

Hovenier, meanwhile, said that such aid to Kosovo from the American Government started 25 years ago and until now, Washington has offered over 1 billion dollars to support the people of Kosovo.

He said that with these funds, local and central government, economic development, strengthening of the energy sector, independent media and other areas in Kosovo have been helped.

"These new funds will similarly go towards strengthening the economy of Kosovo and support good governance and more effective services from the Government for all citizens from Kosovo. We think that this will help Kosovo integrate more into the European market and bring the country closer to the Euro-Atlantic institutions, such as the EU, which is certainly a goal we all share".

During the conference, Hovenier again spoke about the quality of the partnership between the USA and the Government of Kosovo, led by Albin Kurti.

He repeated the statements made on August 13 that Washington is facing some challenges from the Government of Kosovo "and those challenges have affected the quality of our partnership".

"Having said that, some of the areas of cooperation with the current Government of Kosovo are less positive than we had hoped, the commitment of the American Government to the people of Kosovo is stronger than ever before".

Additional aid to Kosovo, through USAID, according to Hovenieri, is an indicator of the American Government's commitment to support the people of Kosovo.

"Today's event, the conclusion of the agreement of 34.5 million dollars as additional support for the people of Kosovo, for economic growth, European integration, I think clearly emphasizes this position. However, I must admit that this commitment to the people of Kosovo does not necessarily apply to any particular government or to the policy choices or actions of that government," he said.

The USA, but also other QUINT states (the United Kingdom, France, Italy and Germany) as well as the European Union have criticized some actions undertaken by the Government of Kosovo in the north.

The international community has described as an uncoordinated and unilateral action the closure of several offices of the Post of Serbia in the north of Kosovo at the beginning of August, while the USA and QUINT have also said that it is not necessary now for the Kosovo authorities to open for vehicular traffic, the main bridge over the Ibër river.

Kurti's government has said that it is continuing consultations and coordination with the international community for the opening of the bridge that separates the South Mitrovica with an Albanian majority and the North Mitrovica with a Serbian majority./ Monitor magazine