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The US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for European Policy and NATO, David Baker, was received by top state leaders on Saturday, on the second day of his visit to Kosovo. Baker was also received by President Vjosa Osmani.
The highest state institution announced that Osmani discussed expanding cooperation in the field of security and the defense industry with the American official.
"President Osmani emphasized that Kosovo is building a modern security force according to NATO standards and that the partnership with the US is essential for peace and stability in the region. In this context, President Osmani underlined that Kosovo's membership in NATO is not only a strategic goal of the state, but a necessity for the security architecture in the region. She emphasized that Kosovo is ready to contribute as a reliable ally and meet the defense spending target in record time, adding that the support of the US in this goal for membership is vital ," the Presidency's announcement for the Osmani-Baker meeting states.
The announcement said that President Osmani emphasized that the American military presence in Kosovo directly serves the US's strategic interests in the Western Balkans and that cooperation in the defense industry represents a new opportunity for joint investments, to the benefit of both countries.
"Cooperation in the field of military industry was also discussed. President Osmani stressed the need to deepen cooperation in this field, emphasizing that Kosovo has potential in the field of military production with the support of the US and various American companies that may be interested in this direction," the Presidency's announcement said. "President Osmani emphasized that the strategic partnership with the United States of America is the main pillar for guaranteeing long-term stability in the Western Balkans," the Presidency's announcement said, reports "Koha".
In the evening, the US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for European Policy and NATO was also hosted by the acting Prime Minister, Albin Kurti, for a working dinner. The US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for European Policy and NATO also met with the Commander of the NATO mission in Kosovo, KFOR, Major General Enrico Barduani.
KFOR announced that the meeting discussed the security situation in Kosovo and the dialogue facilitated by the European Union.
"The meeting was an exceptional opportunity to share views on the security situation in Kosovo and the way forward to best support the renewed political commitment to the dialogue between Pristina and Belgrade. Mr. Baker reaffirmed the unwavering commitment of the United States to the KFOR mission in Kosovo, emphasizing continued support for regional security and stability ," KFOR said in a statement.
Albanian political analyst Ben Andoni linked Baker's first visit to Kosovo to the fact that US President Donald Trump has recently mentioned twice that he has avoided a war between Kosovo and Serbia.
"The Serbian threat to Kosovo is no longer a dream or a rumor, but the Serbian threat is waiting for us at the gate. I believe that the moment has come when Kosovo and Albania must be taken seriously because we are facing very difficult situations. It is not in vain that Mr. Trump mentioned it twice ," he told Koha.
And, a day earlier, White House spokeswoman Caroline Leavitt mentioned Kosovo among the countries in which President Trump has influenced this year to prevent wars. She emphasized this while attributing the merits to the American president for quelling tensions between the countries.
"The president has now ended conflicts between Thailand and Cambodia, Israel and Iran, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, India and Pakistan, Serbia and Kosovo, and Egypt and Ethiopia. That means President Trump has brokered, on average, about one peace agreement or ceasefire per month during his six months in office," Leavitt said.
Even during her visit to Washington last month, President Osmani confirmed that Trump is committed to preventing the escalation of the situation.
Earlier this year, Osmani announced the finalization of the strategic dialogue agreement between Kosovo and the United States, following a meeting with the US Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources, Richard R. Verma. Osmani described this as an extraordinary achievement and announced that the agreement will include areas of importance, as well as strengthen the strategic partnership between the two countries.
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