The consular section of the U.S. Embassy in Pristina provides consular services, such as visas for foreigners and American Citizen Services for U.S. citizens.

For more information about visas, click here.

For more information about American Citizen Services, click here.

The Civil Military Support Element (CMSE) is a four person team that bridges the gap between Civilian and Military cooperation. The team addresses community issues with small scale projects and programs. Past projects have included school refurbishments, medical equipment donations, and educational outreach programs.

The Economic Section’s mission is to foster economic prosperity and security, to promote U.S. commercial and trade interests in Kosovo and to generate support for U.S. economic policy priorities.  It is comprised of the Economic Policy and the Commercial Affairs Units, which analyze and report on economic and commercial trends in Kosovo and work to explain U.S. economic policies to Kosovo audiences.  The section also supports visiting U.S. government delegations and maintains regular contact with a variety of Kosovo officials, international organizations, corporations and private citizens of Kosovo on a wide variety of political, economic and commercial issues of interest to both of our nations.

• Jobs at the Embassy

International Narcotics and Law Enforcement (INL) in Kosovo works to strengthen the rule of law, aid in the integration of the north, and support Kosovo’s efforts to integrate into Euro-Atlantic and regional security structures.  Programs focus on capacity development of judges, prosecutors, and police, as well as the public’s knowledge of their rights and access to justice.

INL, through Department of Justice’s International Criminal Investigative Training Assistance Program (ICITAP), provides technical assistance and training to the Kosovo Police (KP), Ministry of Internal Affairs (MoIA), and affiliated agencies.  Programs include training in (i) law enforcement information management; (ii) KP and MoIA executive development; (iii) MoIA administration capacity building; (iv) complex criminal investigations; and (v) community safety action teams.

INL, through Department of Justice’s Overseas Prosecutorial Development Assistance and Training program (OPDAT), supports training of judges and prosecutors, technical assistance, legislative drafting, legal analysis and education, and policy recommendations, thereby furthering support for development of rule of law and criminal justice institutions.  INL provides technical assistance and training to the Kosovo Special Prosecutor’s Office, Chief Prosecutor’s Offices, Prosecutorial Council, and Kosovo Judicial Council to enhance operational capacity and improve the prosecution and adjudication of serious crimes including corruption and terrorism.

INL seconds law enforcement officers and prosecutors to the EULEX mission in Kosovo.  Seconded personnel assist Kosovo authorities, judicial authorities, and law enforcement agencies in their progress toward sustainability and accountability, especially as they develop and strengthen an independent justice system and a multi-ethnic police and customs service, thereby ensuring that these institutions are free from political interference and adhere to internationally recognized standards.

Supporting Kosovo’s Civil Society, INL grantee, the National Center for State Courts, helps educate citizens about their rights; pursues reforms to make the justice sector more accessible and transparent; and provides free legal assistance to enable citizens to understand and use justice mechanisms and processes.  INL Grantee Ohio Northern University provides one-year scholarships for Kosovo’s junior faculty law professors to attend an American law school to receive an LL.M. in Democratic Governance and Rule of Law.

Department of Justice’s Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training (OPDAT) works with Kosovo justice sector authorities to develop and strengthen fair, just, and accountable justice sector institutions, and to enhance and foster the administration of justice and rule of law consistent with international norms and standards. Its programs assist Kosovo counterparts in developing and implementing capabilities to address and combat organized crime, corruption, money laundering, economic crimes, terrorism, terrorism financing, trafficking in persons, trafficking in narcotics, and other transnational criminal activities. It does so by encouraging legislative and justice sector reform in Kosovo; assisting in legislative drafting; improving the skills of prosecutors, investigators, and judges through training, case based mentoring, workshops and developmental programming; and by promoting the rule of law and regard for human rights.

OPDAT’s programs in Kosovo are implemented by Resident Legal Advisors (RLAs) and Foreign Service National staff. The RLAs are experienced U.S. prosecutors attached to U.S. Embassies for at least one year, typically longer. With the assistance of the Foreign Service National staff, they assess Kosovo criminal justice institutions and procedures; draft, review and comment on legislation and criminal enforcement policy; and provide technical assistance to local officials at the Kosovo Prosecutorial Council, Chief State Prosecutor’s Office, Ministry of Justice, and to prosecutors, judges, and other justice sector personnel working in the field.

OPDAT focuses on long-term comprehensive, sustainable reform. It accomplishes this mission through the development of sound legislative frameworks and programming consistent with international standards and criminal justice instruments. Programs are tailored to Kosovo’s legal infrastructure as well as international norms and standards. They are additionally delivered such that the capacity of the Kosovo’s educational institutions for criminal justice and practitioner trainers are made central to the development effort, ensuring ongoing and lasting advances in the technical abilities of prosecutors, judges, and other legal practitioners. OPDAT coordinates these efforts with the U.S. interagency, the international donor community, and with relevant international experts.

For more information on the DOJ/OPDAT Central and Eastern Europe Programs, please check the following link: https://www.justice.gov/criminal-opdat/central-and-eastern-europe

The combined Political-Economic-INL section is responsible for being subject matter experts on policy issues, including the Mission’s three strategic priorities of strengthening rule of law, encouraging economic growth, and enhancing regional security.  The section advises Washington about developments in Kosovo, informs and shapes policy, coordinates the Mission’s assistance strategy, and supports USG visits.

The Public Diplomacy Section of the U.S. Embassy to Kosovo explains and advocates American policy, acts as a focal point for media and cultural relations, and advises the U.S. Embassy in Kosovo on the issues of public diplomacy.

The Public Diplomacy Section works to strengthen the bilateral relationship and offers a wide variety of programs and information related to the media, educational and cultural exchanges, American government and institutions, legislative developments, foreign and domestic policies, and social, economic, political and security issues. It handles press requests for interviews, disseminates press releases, and sponsors training for print and broadcast journalists and it also runs Exchange Programs hence, since 1998, has sent nearly 200 Kosovars to the U.S. on professional and educational exchanges.

In addition, the Section gives support to several U.S. non-governmental organizations offering exchange programs and sponsors. The Public Diplomacy Section also sponsors occasional cultural events, seminars, and a wide variety of publications regarding American culture and ideals, as well as support for English teaching activities throughout Kosovo.

• Press Section
• Cultural & Educational Exchange
• Grant Programs
• Embassy Speakers Program

The Peace Corps is an independent agency of the United States government. President John F. Kennedy started the Peace Corps in 1961. Its mission is to promote international peace and friendship through the service abroad of American Volunteers. More than 170, 000 Americans have served in the Peace Corps in 135 countries. Volunteers try to help communities to improve their quality of life. They try to create new opportunities for people. Volunteers learn to speak the local languages. While living and working with people in communities, Volunteers share American culture and values. They help people learn about Americans of various ages, races, and ethnic and religious backgrounds. When Volunteers return to the United States they also help Americans learn more about the world by talking about the cultures, customs, languages, and traditions of other people.

The three goals of the Peace Corps are:

1. To help the people of interested countries in meeting their need for trained men and women
2. To help promote a better understanding of Americans on the part of the peoples served
3. To help promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of Americans

Read more at the official Peace Corps in Kosovo website.

The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) is an innovative and independent U.S. foreign aid agency that is helping lead the fight against global poverty. Created by the U.S. Congress in January 2004 with strong bipartisan support, MCC is changing the conversation on how best to deliver smart U.S. foreign assistance by focusing on good policies, country ownership, and results.

In December 2015, the MCC Board of Directors selected Kosovo as eligible to develop a compact program, read more at the KOSOVO COMPACT page.

USAID has been working in partnership with Kosovars since 1999. The first years of the partnership included addressing immediate post-conflict humanitarian needs and emphasized the construction and rehabilitation of basic infrastructure, including roads, schools, community health centers, and water and sanitation systems.  On the institutional side, USAID initially embedded technical staff at every level of main Kosovo institutions building organizational and human capacity from the ground up.

The goal of USAID is that Kosovo becomes an increasingly prosperous country, integrating into the Euro-Atlantic Community, with more effective and accountable governance. Since 1999, over $800 million in USAID assistance has been committed to the reconstruction of Kosovo and to building self-governing institutions and a viable economy. Over the 17 years of USAID’s development assistance in Kosovo, the programs have shifted and matured to address the changing needs of a growing country.  While the major work to establish key governance institutions has successfully concluded, USAID continues to provide technical advice in a few critical areas including in financial policy, judicial strengthening, and energy.  A major focus continues on programs aimed at increasing economic opportunities and eliminating the impediments to private sector development, as well as programs that promote reconciliation and participation among all ethnicities in Kosovo.

Current USAID activities focus on

• IMPROVED RULE OF LAW AND GOVERNANCE THAT MEET CITIZENS’ NEEDS
• INCREASED INVESTMENT AND PRIVATE SECTOR EMPLOYMENT
• ENHANCED HUMAN CAPITAL

For more information about USAID
http://www.usaid.gov/Kosovo
Fb/Tw: @USAIDKosovo, or
e-mail: kosovousaidinfo@usaid.gov