The acting President of the Republic of Kosovo Vjosa Osmani Sadriu held today a virtual meeting with the Deputy Assistant Secretary at the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs and at the same time the special representative for the Western Balkans at the US State Department Mr. Matthew Palmer.
On this occasion, Mr. Palmer conveyed his congratulations to the acting President for the results achieved at the parliamentary elections held on February 14th, emphasizing the importance of establishing institutions that reflect the will of the citizens of Kosovo.
Acting President Osmani stressed that the current focus is precisely on the establishment of institutions without delay in order to avoid institutional and constitutional crises and to have institutions that reflect the clear civic will. Not delaying the process of certification of results is extremely important, pointed out the acting President, in order to have functional institutions as soon as possible in order for them to urgently deal with the needs and demands of the citizens.
The acting President emphasized that the citizens of Kosovo have voted for the winning coalition based on the defined priorities that focus on fighting crime and corruption and the creation of jobs and prospects for young people. She also added that due to the pandemic, providing adequate vaccines for citizens and pandemic management and economic recovery should be priorities of the new institutions. While Mr. Palmer agreed with Mrs. Osmani that the new institutions should focus on fighting corruption, addressing the pandemic, economic recovery, and job creation, he also stressed the importance of active engagement in the dialogue, as this will prove Kosovo's commitment to contribute in the stability, peace and progress within the country as well as in the region.
Regarding the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, the acting President said that President Biden's clear approach that dialogue should focus on mutual recognition was warmly welcomed in Kosovo while adding that Kosovo institutions should speak in unison, and in this context mentioned the importance of cooperation with the opposition and civil society as well as ongoing coordination with our allies.
On the other hand, Mr. Palmer confirmed that in the dialogue process, the US will be involved as a partner and will coordinate positions with the European Union. He stressed that the United States remains an eternal ally of the people of Kosovo.
Both parties also discussed the pandemic situation in Kosovo. Acting President Osmani thanked Mr. Palmer for the financial assistance provided by the US, especially in the COVAX initiative, through which Kosovo is expected to receive the first lot of the vaccines.