The grant agreement, which was signed today by President Vjosa Osmani and USAID Acting Director, Kerry Monaghan Hogler, is worth about 35 million dollars. The head of state declared that this agreement will contribute to improving the lives of citizens, while the ambassador of the United States of America, Jeff Hovenier, said that they are confirming the long-term and stable partnership with Kosovo.

After signing the agreement, President Vjosa Osmani said that this proves the continuous support of the government and the American people for Kosovo.

“It will contribute directly to the fulfillment of the development objectives of our country. Today, together with the United States of America, we signed the development grant agreement. As a result, we will have nearly 35 million dollars available for projects that contribute to improving the lives of all our citizens, without distinction. This agreement is proof of the continued support of the government and the American people towards the Republic of Kosovo and its people. In our efforts to guarantee a more prosperous future for our citizens, the United States of America has not only offered support, but a true partnership”, said Osmani.

Before the media, she added that the partnership with America is built on mutual trust and strengthened by common values.

This agreement, as Osmani said, is built on the principles of democracy, accountability and economic growth

“One of the primary objectives of this agreement is to provide better services to our citizens, through the development of institutional capacities. In this way, public administration will be strengthened, bureaucracy will be eliminated, and transparency will be promoted. By promoting accountability and efficiency within public institutions, this agreement will contribute to the continuous reduction of corruption and increase the efficiency of response to the needs of our citizens”, she said.

The Ambassador of the United States of America, Jeff Hovenier, said that the signing of this agreement confirms America’s long-term and stable partnership for Kosovo.

“I think it is appropriate to take this opportunity to reaffirm the United States long-standing and enduring partnership with the people of Kosovo. This additional funding will support US strategic goals for Kosovo, including efforts to advance Kosovo’s integration into European and Euro-Atlantic institutions, efforts to promote economic growth and prosperity, and efforts to enhance good governance and further support development of the democratic institutions. All of our USAID programs in Kosovo are intended to ensure that all Kosovars can access effective and accountable services from their institutions, that they are empowered to demand accountability for these services and that they can thrive through strong economic and democratic opportunities”, he said.

Furthermore, he emphasized the support that has been given to Kosovo since the post-war period.

“It is helpful to say that since 1999, the US has invested a little over two billion dollars in Kosovo, to advance the shared goals, including over $1 billion of investments directly from USAIDI hope that you will agree with me that this is a manifestation of our commitment to the people of Kosovo, just as today’s agreement that has signed”, concluded Hovenier.