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Shkruar nga Pamfleti
In the last five years, during the rule of President Osmani and the Government of Albin Kurti, only three lobbying contracts have been signed - all in 2023: one short-term and two others that expired a year later.
In the absence of official lobbying in the United States, Kosovo’s president, Vjosa Osmani, has emerged in recent months as one of the most active figures on the international stage. Her participation in the signing ceremony of the Gaza Peace Board Charter and meetings with US President Donald Trump – with handshakes and one-on-one conversations – have captured the attention of international media. The country of about 1.5 million people has shown that active diplomacy can keep it visible.
“It is a historic initiative, with a clear vision: to bring more peace and security to the world,” Osmani said after signing the Peace Board Charter on January 22.
This initiative was not met with any hesitation. Democracies like France and Germany refused to participate in it, warning that it could weaken the role of the UN and open the door to figures like Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Even in Kosovo, reactions were divided: for some, participation is a step towards increasing the country's international weight, for others - a dangerous alignment alongside authoritarian regimes, including Belarus.
Thus, the debate around the Peace Board overshadowed another essential issue: the lack of state lobbying for Kosovo in the US.
Donika Emini, a political analyst, says that Kosovo has had very few active voices in Washington for almost two years - not for lack of topics, but for lack of structure. The country has no active lobbying contracts on the US Department of Justice's Foreign Agents Registration Act, known as FARA, as of June 2024. This is despite the fact that such lobbying allows any foreign country to legally attempt to influence US policies.
According to Emini, the lack of this mechanism weakens Kosovo's ability to communicate its interests, because, as he says, the individual engagement of an official cannot replace a professional lobbying structure - especially in the US.
" It's really worrying, because the US doesn't function like the European Union. With EU countries, with Brussels itself, you can manage bilateral relations yourself, through official channels, state representatives. In the US, that platform [FARA] and that opportunity work, because everything is done through lobbying. Nothing is accidental," says Emini, from the Balkan Policy Advisory Group in Europe, to Radio Free Europe's Expose program.
Since the early 1990s, Kosovo has paid numerous lobbying firms in the US hundreds of thousands of dollars to promote its international agenda. The contracts have been signed by state institutions with well-known American names, such as the Podesta Group and Ballard Partners.
In the last five years, during the rule of President Osmani and the Government of Albin Kurti, only three lobbying contracts have been signed - all in 2023: one short-term and two others that expired a year later.
Radio Free Europe has requested clarification from the Presidency, Government and Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora regarding the reasons why Kosovo currently does not have any active lobbying contracts registered with FARA. So far, none of the institutions have responded, leaving open questions about the lack of a clear strategy, planning and institutional coordination.
In one of the rare statements on the issue of lobbying, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Donika Gërvalla - now in office - said that the extension of the contracts with the two companies contracted in 2023 - Avni Mustafaj and Afërdita Rakipi - is "being considered". But, almost a year and a half later, this has not happened. Gërvalla stated that she is satisfied with their work, even though most of the expenses have gone to lunches, trips and meetings in Pristina.
"There are no concerns regarding these contracts. The two of them work together in carrying out their duties ," Gervalla said at the time.
According to Emini, Kosovo takes US political support for granted, without understanding the drastic changes in political elites that have occurred there.
" We are not in the '90s. We do not have a political elite in the US that knows the Balkans in detail. We do not have lobbyists, senators or congressmen like we once had, who had the political cause of advancing the Balkans ," says Emini.
Vesko Garcevic, a professor of the Practice of International Relations at Boston University, says that without lobbyists providing inside information, Kosovo risks misunderstanding US priorities, drafting policies that do not fit Washington's expectations and, as a result, receive little support. In this way, Kosovo - conditionally speaking - also risks being "forgotten," giving space to others to create the narrative about it.
" Serbia, in particular, has invested enormously, both financially and through its connections, in building a lobbying network. So, if I were in the position of the Kosovo Government, I would do the same thing. I would think about engaging someone with influence who represents Kosovo's interests - outside of the diplomatic office that Kosovo has in Washington," Garcevic tells Exposé.
Serbia currently has six active contracts under the Foreign Agents Registration Act - FARA. One of them includes advocacy before the US Congress and its departments.
Nga vendet e tjera të rajonit, Bosnje e Hercegovina ka 14 kontrata aktive, shumica prej tyre të lidhura nga Republika Sërpska; Shqipëria ka katër, ndërsa Mali i Zi dhe Maqedonia e Veriut nuk kanë asnjë.
Garçeviç, ish-ambasador i Malit të Zi në disa vende evropiane, thotë se lobimi e kompenson peshën e kufizuar diplomatike të një vendi. Ndryshe nga vendet e mëdha, shtetet e vogla - si Kosova dhe Mali i Zi - nuk kanë ndikim të madh ekonomik, ushtarak apo strategjik, prandaj nuk e tërheqin automatikisht vëmendjen e Uashingtonit. Ai shpjegon se lobimi i vazhdueshëm ka bërë që SHBA-ja ta perceptonte pozitivisht kandidaturën e Malit të Zi për NATO, dhe ka luajtur rol vendimtar në arritjen e suksesit.
“Shumë kohë përpara se të merrej vendimi më 2017, ne kemi gjetur një grup lobimi shumë efektiv, që ka punuar në favor të Malit të Zi. Kur ne kemi nisur fushatën për anëtarësim, NATO-ja nuk ka qenë e etur për të pranuar anëtar të ri. Kjo ka ndryshuar me kalimin e kohës, dhe mund të them se lobistët kanë luajtur një rol të rëndësishëm në këtë proces”, thotë Garçeviç.
Në rrethanat ku gjendet Kosova - me çështje të hapura me Serbinë dhe jashtë NATO-s e BE-së - lobimi në SHBA nuk është vetëm çështje imazhi. Ai është mjet kyç edhe për mbrojtjen e sigurisë civile dhe për të siguruar që SHBA-ja mbetet e angazhuar në stabilitetin dhe mbrojtjen e vendit, sipas Garçeviçit.
“Prandaj, mos ua lini të tjerëve që ta formësojnë mënyrën se si SHBA-ja ju qaset. Duhet të jeni proaktivë, sepse kjo ju ndihmon edhe të kuptoni më mirë se si mendohet nga brenda. Njerëzit që i angazhoni për të punuar për ju, mund t’ju japin vlerësime reale se çfarë ndodh në anën tjetër dhe si e shohin ata situatën”, thotë ai.
Emini shton se realiteti politik në Uashington ka ndryshuar ndjeshëm dhe se vendimmarrja sot zhvillohet në një mjedis shumë më të fragmentuar. Sipas saj, Qeveria e re e Kosovës, që pritet të formohet sërish nga Albin Kurti, duhet të investojë në ndërtimin e rrjeteve afatgjate të lobimit në SHBA, e jo të mbështetet në komunikim sporadik apo vetëm në vizita zyrtare.
“Kosova është një shtet i vogël dhe si i tillë mbijeton në aleanca. Edhe sikur të ishte shtetësi e përfunduar, edhe nëse do të kishte ushtri dhe do të ishte pjesë e NATO-s, aleancat janë të domosdoshme”, thotë Emini.
Marrëdhëniet mes Kosovës dhe Shteteve të Bashkuara kanë kaluar periudha tensioni gjatë dy vjetëve të fundit. Shkak janë bërë disa vendime të Qeverisë së Kosovës, të cilat Uashingtoni i ka vlerësuar si të dëmshme për komunitetin serb. Përplasjet kanë kulmuar me paralajmërime publike nga zyrtarët amerikanë për përkeqësim të raporteve dhe me vendosjen e masave ndëshkuese ndaj Kosovës, ndonëse Qeveria e Kurtit ka insistuar se këto mospajtime janë pjesë e një dinamike normale mes aleatëve.
This month, Kosovo was added to a list of 75 countries whose citizens the US has temporarily suspended from issuing immigration visas. The official reason: preventing welfare abuse. This list includes all Western Balkan countries except Serbia, which, according to some media reports, has also benefited from intensive lobbying.
However, the US State Department has clarified that the measure targets those who "use US social assistance at unacceptable levels."
In a Washington where attention is bought, won or lost, the challenge for Kosovo now lies not only in maintaining friendships, but also in the ability to be heard.
In the words of President Osmani, after signing the Charter of the Peace Board, “when America leads, peace is always more secure.” But it remains to be seen whether Kosovo will manage to turn this moment into real impact – beyond handshakes and media headlines./ REL
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