The incendiary rhetoric and historical revisionism we have seen recently with regard to the events of 1999 are unacceptable. We also caution against selective prosecution of speech on the basis of political orientation or community. Freedom of speech has long been a bedrock principle of democracy. The events of this week pose another reminder of …

On his first visit to Kosovo since being named Adjutant General of the Iowa National Guard, Major General Ben Corell gave the following statement: “I am honored to represent the Iowa National Guard here in Kosovo. We will continue to be engaged and support the Kosovo Security Force and the U.S. Embassy.”

The United States remains deeply concerned by the Government of Kosovo’s appointments of unqualified individuals to senior government positions – including individuals convicted of war crimes, under active indictment for serious crimes, and suspected of serious abuses of power. 

It was almost a year ago that Kosovo expelled six Turkish citizens as alleged threats to national security without due process.  We were pleased to see the establishment of a parliamentary investigative committee, which exposed legal violations surrounding the incident despite attempts to obstruct its work. 

United States policy is still to support KFOR and the presence of U.S. troops at Camp Bondsteel, which maintains a safe and secure environment and freedom of movement in Kosovo.  As elsewhere around the world, this and other U.S. deployments are subject to regular review. 

National Security Council (NSC) Deputy Senior Director for Europe John Erath and NSC Director for European Affairs Brad Berkley met yesterday with President Thaci and Prime Minister Haradinaj, following their visit to Belgrade and meetings with Serbian government leaders. 

A delegation from the U.S. Government’s Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) visited Kosovo last week to discuss the potential MCC compact to reduce poverty and promote economic growth here.  Kosovo was selected by MCC’s Board of Directors as eligible for an MCC compact last December.  Kosovo must continue to demonstrate progress against corruption in order to receive …

The United States fully supports the European Union led Dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia. A comprehensive, mutually beneficial agreement is in the strategic interest of the United States.   As President Trump communicated in his letter to President Thaci:  “I urge you and the leaders of Kosovo to seize this unique moment, speak with a unified voice …

We welcome the intense preparations and work that has been done by Kosovo’s state institutions – the Justice Ministry, Kosovo Judicial Council, Kosovo Prosecutorial Council, and others – and the European Union to welcome judges and prosecutors from other communities into Kosovo’s judicial system. 

U.S. Embassy in Pristina to Process Diversity Visa Applications for Residents of Kosovo, 27 September 2017 The U.S. Embassy in Pristina is pleased to announce that beginning in October 2017, it will begin processing Diversity Visa (DV) applications for residents of Kosovo for the 2018 program.  In previous years, DV applications were processed by the U.S. …

Today’s decision by the Central Elections Commission (CEC) implements the orders of the Supreme Court to re-certify candidates that had previously been disqualified based on the Law on Elections.  We understand the CEC’s decision to restore all 89 de-certified candidates in reaction to the Court’s ruling.

U.S. Embassy Statement on the Formation of Institutions in Kosovo, September 11, 2017 The U.S. Embassy welcomes the constitution of the Assembly and the formation of the government, and congratulates Assembly Speaker Veseli, Prime Minister Haradinaj, and the newly appointed state officials and ministers.  We look forward to working with the new government to advance …

The voters of Kosovo have spoken, and now the critical process of forming a new government must begin. We look forward to working closely with whomever forms the new government.

Over the past few days, including today, we have received a number of deeply concerning reports of efforts to influence the results of the election in Kosovo through threats and intimidation. In particular, there appears to be an attempt to intimidate and coerce members of the Kosovo-Serb community to vote in a particular way. Such …

As the campaign season opens today, the U.S. Embassy reiterates the call for all political candidates to commit to free, credible, and peaceful elections. We will be assisting Kosovo in meeting European standards for this election by deploying election observation teams across the country on election day. Unfortunately, there have already been credible allegations of …

The U.S. Embassy and the OSCE Mission in Kosovo call upon all Kosovo political parties and entities to cease any and all forms of political intimidation. Kosovo candidates have a fundamental, democratic right to wage campaigns based on their highest ideals for the future of this society and must be able to do so free …

The Assembly has spoken.  As the transition proceeds and the country gears up for early elections we call on all officials who remain in government to re-commit themselves to serve Kosovo’s citizens – all of them – who are their employers.  We continue in our steadfast support for Kosovo, its citizens, and its path to …

The U.S. Embassy calls upon the Kosovo Assembly to ratify the Border Demarcation Agreement with Montenegro. We remain fully convinced – after considerable review by United States Government experts – that the border demarcation line established by the agreement is correctly drawn.

The United States is concerned by Kosovo’s announced intention to change the mandate of the Kosovo Security Force (KSF) without a constitutional amendment. We support the gradual, transparent transformation of the Kosovo Security Force into a multiethnic force in line with NATO standards. However, this transformation should be done in accordance with the Kosovo Constitution …