Millennium Challenge Corporation Visited Kosovo to Discuss Potential for New Compact to Advance Economic Growth, 27 February 2019
PRISTINA – 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 this funding and assistance.
The delegation, led by MCC Vice President for the Department of Congressional and Public Affairs Karen Sessions, met with senior Kosovo Government officials and private-sector leaders. They discussed MCC’s approach to fighting poverty through economic growth. One factor constraining economic growth is corruption, in which Kosovo’s global ranking is low. Kosovo must be re-selected by the MCC Board of Directors each year of compact development, and will be evaluated using MCC’s scorecard, which includes an evaluation of efforts to reduce corruption.
MCC is currently implementing MCC’s small grant Kosovo Threshold Program, which supports investments in energy efficiency and women’s employment in the energy sector, as well as increasing publicly available data on the judiciary, the environment, and the labor force.
On February 20, 2019, VP Sessions helped launch the Women in Energy project under MCC’s Kosovo Threshold Program. The project supports opportunities for women to participate as employees and entrepreneurs in this sector, while strengthening economic opportunities for women and supporting a scholarship program. It is currently being implemented by the Millennium Foundation Kosovo and will continue through 2021.
Learn more about MCC at www.mcc.gov .
