The head of the CIA in the Presidency of Kosovo

2024-08-22 15:27:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

The head of the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), William Burns, was seen entering the Kosovo Presidency building on August 22.

His visit to Kosovo comes after the senior American intelligence official stayed in other countries of the region.

Previously, the American Embassy in Pristina did not confirm Burns' visit to Kosovo. Radio Free Europe did not receive confirmation either from the Presidency of Kosovo, or from the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

However, the American army plane, with which the head of the American Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), William Burns, is believed to have traveled to Bosnia and Serbia, was seen at noon on Thursday at Pristina's "Adem Jashari" International Airport.

The Radio Free Europe team photographed the American army plane parked in front of the "VIP" area at Pristina Airport on Thursday afternoon. Burns is believed to have traveled from Sarajevo to Belgrade on this plane. Meanwhile, on August 22, this plane traveled from Belgrade to Bulgaria, North Macedonia and finally Kosovo, according to flight tracking website Flightradar.

REL journalists also saw a motorcade leaving the "VIP" area of ??the "Adem Jashari" airport towards Pristina. This motorcade was escorted by Kosovo Police cars.

In Bosnia and Herzegovina on August 20, Burns met with his counterparts from the intelligence sector, with members of the Presidency of this country and with the foreign minister of Bosnia.

As a US Government official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Radio Free Europe, the reason for the CIA chief's visit to Sarajevo was, among other things, due to the disturbing separatist rhetoric and actions of the entity's pro-Russian president. of Republika Srpska, Milorad Dodik and the Government of this entity. Meanwhile, on August 21, he went to Belgrade, but this visit was neither confirmed nor denied by officials in Serbia and the United States.

Burns' visit to the region comes at a time when the American ambassador to Kosovo, Jeffrey Hovenier, has said that his country has been challenged in several aspects by the Government of Kosovo, led by Albin Kurti.

The USA and other countries of the international community have criticized some decisions and actions taken recently by the Kurti Government, which have been considered "unilateral" and "uncoordinated".

The US Department of State has asked the Kurti Government to return to "constructive and close engagement" with Washington, the European Union and NATO, while Washington is also demanding that Kosovo's institutions not open the bridge over the Ibër River to traffic. , citing security concerns.

The visit of the head of the CIA to the Western Balkan region, for the former commander of the Kosovo Security Forces, Kadri Kastrati, may be because "Russia is waging a hybrid war in the Western Balkans".

"The biggest risk of conflict is in Bosnia and Herzegovina, through Republika Srpska, and in the north of Kosovo. The visit of senior officials in this region shows that they have enough information about Russian efforts - through its satellite, Serbia - that this part of Europe is in danger of a possible conflict... and it is certain that they came here to give their recommendations", Kastrati said on August 21.

Burns is the former US ambassador to Russia. He is a central figure in the administration of the American president, Joe Biden, as he is also a member of the presidential cabinet of the White House.

He was appointed by President Biden to the post of CIA director in January 2021./ Rel