Presidency: None of Trump's decisions so far negatively affect Kosovo

2025-01-22 18:58:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Presidency: None of Trump's decisions so far negatively affect Kosovo

President of Kosovo, Vjosa Osmani

The Kosovo Presidency said that the US envoy for the Western Balkans, Alexander Kasanof, has confirmed that none of the decisions made so far by US President Donald Trump, "for now, do not negatively affect Kosovo."

The media advisor to Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani, Bekim Kupina, told Radio Free Europe that Kasanof made this confirmation during a meeting he had in Washington with Osmani's chief of staff, Learta Hollaj.

This statement from the Presidency of Kosovo comes after Trump, on the day he took office as president, signed an executive order temporarily suspending all United States international assistance programs for 90 days, pending a review of whether they are in line with his policy objectives.

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty asked the US Embassy in Pristina and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) on January 21 whether this decision would in any way affect the aid planned for Kosovo, but did not receive a response.

The USAID website states that, since 1999, over one billion dollars have been spent on the development of Kosovo.

Currently, USAID funds a range of activities in Kosovo, including supporting legislative reforms, improving inclusiveness and accountability, helping to address corruption challenges, helping to improve trade competitiveness, and more.

Such assistance has continued even during the time when the US and the European Union have criticized the Kosovo Government for decisions that mainly concern the livelihood of Serbs in municipalities in northern Kosovo, inhabited by a Serb majority, such as the abolition of the Serbian dinar, expropriation in northern Kosovo for the construction of police bases, the closure of parallel institutions that function according to the Serbian system, etc.

Meanwhile, in the press release issued by the Presidency of Kosovo regarding this meeting, it is stated that Kasanof stated that it is important to continue the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia.

This process, mediated by the European Union and supported by the United States, aims to fully normalize relations between Kosovo and Serbia.

Senior US officials have previously said they hope the process will end with mutual recognition, which Kosovo is seeking. But Serbia has sought a kind of compromise, where neither side would be an absolute winner or an absolute loser.

Hollaj, according to the announcement, also discussed with Kasanofi the Kosovo-US strategic dialogue, expectations from this process and the areas that would be covered by this dialogue.

On January 10, Osmani stated that Kosovo and the US would soon finalize an agreement for strategic dialogue between the two countries, which, according to her, would include important areas in the interest of the citizens of Kosovo.

The strategic dialogue between the United States and other countries is a high-level discussion about deepening partnerships.

The US conducts strategic dialogues with a number of countries, with the aim of advancing cooperation in various fields.

Among the countries with which the US has a strategic dialogue are: North Macedonia, Lithuania, the United Kingdom, Romania, Austria, Poland, Slovenia, Moldova, Greece, Liechtenstein, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, Egypt, etc./REL