Kosovo |
United States |
The United States officially recognized the Republic of Kosovo[a] – the south eastern European state which declared independence from Serbia on February 17, 2008 – as an independent nation on February 18, 2008.[1] U.S. President George W. Bush on February 19, 2008 justified recognizing Kosovo as an independent nation, saying that doing so will bring peace to a region scarred by war.[2]
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The United States of America has also assisted Albanians in fighting Yugoslavia during the Kosovo War by deploying military forces and aircraft. Kosovan people have also expressed their gratitude for the United States by parading in the streets with US flags and thanking the US for their support after the war. Kosovo has also named certain places in Pristina after US leaders such as Bill Clinton Ave and George W. Bush Street.[3] The US established full diplomatic relations at Ambassador level with the Republic of Kosovo.[4] Kosovo considers the United States its greatest partner in gaining recognition from the rest of the world, and such view is also expressed from US Officials. The United States and Kosovo established diplomatic relations on February 18, 2008. The strong bilateral ties the United States shares with Kosovo are maintained through the U.S. Embassy in Pristina, which was opened on April 8, 2008 by then-Chargé d'Affaires ad interim Tina Kaidanow. Prior to independence, the United States maintained U.S. Office Pristina (USOP), with a chief of mission. The U.S. also continues to contribute troops to the Kosovo Force (KFOR), and will be providing staff to the ICO and EULEX missions.
During the European Commission-hosted international Donors' Conference on July 11, 2008 the United States pledged $400 million for 2008-2009 to support, among many other things, helping relieve debt Kosovo may inherit. U.S. assistance in Kosovo continues to support good governance through strengthening civil society and political processes, especially targeting minority communities, and will strengthen economic institutions and help private enterprise grow.
The current U.S. Ambassador to Kosovo is Christopher William Dell. He was appointed by President Barack Obama on May 27, 2009,[5] confirmed by the Senate on July 10, 2009, and presented credentials to President Fatmir Sejdiu on July 31, 2009.
The first U.S. Ambassador to Kosovo was Tina Kaidanow.
Avni Spahiu is the current ambassador from Kosovo to the U.S. The Embassy of the Republic of Kosovo in the United States is located at 1101 30th Street, NW, Suite 330/340, Washington, D.C, 20007.
Notes:
| a. | ^ Kosovo is the subject of a territorial dispute between the Republic of Serbia and the self-proclaimed Republic of Kosovo. The latter declared independence on 17 February 2008, while Serbia claims it as part of its own sovereign territory. Its independence is recognised by 86 UN member states. |
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