Ambassador Delawie Remarks after Presenting Credentials to President Jahjaga, August 21, 2015

Mirëdita të gjithëve.

Faleminderit, Presidente Jahjaga, për mikpritjen e veçantë që ju dhe stafi juaj ma ofruat sot.

Dobro jutro svima. Hvala Vam, predsednice Jahjaga, na izuzetnoj dobrodošlici koju ste mi Vi i Vaše osoblje ukazali danas.

Good morning everyone.  Thank you, President Jahjaga, for your and your staff’s extraordinary welcome today.

It is an honor for me to represent President Obama and the United States of America here in Kosovo.
I am proud to be joining the long list of American officials to call you – and Kosovo – a friend.

The United States has been a steadfast friend of Kosovo since opening our Information Office back in 1996.  Now, as we prepare to watch the construction of our new Embassy over the course of my tenure, my wife Vonda and I and our children, Torrence and Fred, are excited to see not only the historic and cultural places in Kosovo, but also experience its natural beauty.  And I plan to dive right in, starting this weekend.

I look forward to the conversations I will have with government leaders, business groups, and civil society.  I know I will hear much about the many challenges you face, along with your good ideas for continuing our strong partnership through which we can achieve many more successes and milestones.

I am confident that working together, Kosovo’s leaders can continue to advance the rule of law, strengthen regional security, build stronger democratic institutions, and continue the critical work of providing economic opportunity for all.

I also look forward to meeting with Kosovo’s young people, to learn the perspective of tomorrow’s generation of leaders on the challenges facing the country.

It’s been a pleasure and an honor for me to participate in this ceremony today which marks the official beginning of my work with the Government of Kosovo.

And I am very much looking forward to getting started.  Thank you very much.  Faleminderit.  Hvala.