Administrator Samantha Power’s Remarks to Press Following Her Meeting with Kosovo President Osmani

ADMINISTRATOR SAMANTHA POWER: Thank you so much Madam President. I am so grateful to you for hosting me here today. I am grateful to you in my capacity as USAID Administrator because USAID here in Kosovo works so closely with you and your team every day to try to push forward reform, enhance economic prosperity, enhance job opportunities for young people, grow nascent sectors here in this country that we think have tremendous potential to provide jobs for young people. And we’ve had a really productive conversation just now, just as all our conversations are – very intense and productive. 

Thanks as well to you for being an inspiration, not only to young women and girls here in Kosovo but around the world. Watching you in action inspires young people to believe that they too, can make a difference. So thank you so much.

I have received an incredibly warm welcome here in Kosovo over the last few days. I’ve had the chance to meet with young IT entrepreneurs, women who are running thriving food production businesses, who are getting their exports to markets across Europe, young people determined to work at a people-to-people level toward reconciliation among communities, and leaders who are advocating for the rights of all of Kosovo as ethnic communities. Each of whom are working, in their own ways, to build a brighter future for themselves and their country. 

But again it’s very hard to find words to describe how much Kosovo has changed since I was last here in 1999. To see thriving businesses, to see people-to-people ties growing everyday, to see where Kosovo stands in the community of nations, and how many countries recognize Kosovo’s progress as a democracy, as a place for private sector investment, as a place to visit. So it’s a very different Kosovo, and that didn’t happen by accident but it happened because of the iron determination and remarkable resilience of the people in this country. 

I've had a chance, as well, here to meet with our incredible Embassy and USAID staff, who every day have been working to try to deepen the bonds, the unshakable bonds between the United States and Kosovo, but also to enhance prosperity and to deepen the rule of law and democracy. 

USAID support, for example, has helped Kosovo establish as you know well, Madam President, its first commercial court, that in the nine months since its creation has resolved more than 2,000 cases. This is an incredibly important part of our message as well when we travel abroad or engage private sector leaders, that Kosovo is open for business. 

Yesterday, I helped launch Kosovo’s very first solar auction, a critical first step in moving the country from unreliable and unhealthy energy sources like coal, to cleaner, greener sources of power at competitive prices for consumers. 

I also had a productive meeting yesterday with Prime Minister Kurti. And again, I'm so grateful to President Osmani for making time to meet with me and the team here today. We discussed how the United States can best support Kosovo at this critical juncture for this country, and in light of the tremendous progress that has already been made. 

We spoke about the critical importance of continued progress on normalization with Serbia. The complexities of this dialogue are well understood by everyone that I have met with here over the past few days. At the same time, I've heard repeatedly from Kosovans that they believe that this is the right direction for their country. 

In meeting with the Prime Minister and President Osmani, I underscored the strong U.S. support for normalization, and shared our encouragement for both Kosovo and Serbia to move quickly in this effort, because of all that normalization can unlock, which will bring such rewards again, to the people of this great country. 

This includes implementation of the Association of Serb-Majority Municipalities. Progress on normalization will make a significant difference for regional stability, and for the prosperity of both nations. Normalization in other words, will be good for business. 

I leave Kosovo, immensely optimistic about its future. This young country, one of the youngest in the world, has made incredible strides in what to me feels like a long time, but is in fact the blink of an eye. In those 24 years since 1999, I feel privileged to have had the chance to return here, as USAID Administrator, when there are so many tools in the development toolkit that can be brought to bear to continue to deepen this partnership, these bonds between our two peoples, and this incredible story of a democracy on the move. 

The friendship and connection between Kosovo and the United States is deep. And it is something that all of us in the Biden Administration value deeply. I want to reiterate the United States’ continued support for Kosovo’s future, support that since 1999, has totaled $2 billion and extensive engagement from all levels of the U.S. government. 

We will continue to aid Kosovo’s efforts to build effective and inclusive institutions to take its rightful place as a sovereign country in European and Euro-Atlantic institutions, and to pursue a brighter, more prosperous future. Thank you so very much for the warm welcome and I look forward to much collaboration in the months and years ahead. 

Thank you.