Tuesday, September 27, 2016 – The President of the Republic of Kosovo, Hashim Thaçi, together with the USAID Head of Mission in Kosovo, James Hope, in the presence of the Ambassador of the United States, Greg Delawie, and the Senior Deputy Assistant to the Administrator of USAID from the Bureau for Europe and Eurasia, Margot Ellis, have signed today the 7th amendment of the Grant Agreement for Developmental Objectives.
With the signing of this amendment, Kosovo benefits an additional amount of around 27 million dollars, thus making the total amount of the grant of the United States of America for Kosovo to reach over 130 million dollars.
Talking about the importance of this agreement, President Thaçi stressed that this is proof of the partnership that we have with the US in the overall development of Kosovo, especially in improving the rule of law, governance, and in increasing investment and the the opening of new jobs in the private sector.
“We are grateful to the American administration and all the American people for the continuous brotherly support for the people of Kosovo”, said president Thaçi.
Whereas, Ambassador Delawie said that the signing of this agreement comes as a continuous commitment to help Kosovo address the development challenges and the progress towards a more sustainable European future.
“We are helping Kosovo to intensify efforts in the fight against corruption, in order to remove the obstacles towards economic development, and to enhance public confidence in the democratic institutions of Kosovo. Sustainable development was the key topic of the General Assembly of the United Nations this year. And it is proper to conclude today’s event, pledging all together to fulfill Kosovo’s development goals through an effective partnership and cooperation and hard work”, said Ambassador Delawie.
The 7th amendment of the Grant Agreement for Developmental Objectives is a continuation of amendments to the basic agreement, signed on October 9, 2013, between the Republic of Kosovo and the United States of America, through the US Agency for International Development (USAID).
Based on this agreement, Kosovo is beneficial in the implementation of three developmental objectives. The first objective is the improvement of the rule of law and governance that meets the requirements of the citizens, the second is to increase investment and create employment in the private sector, whereas the third is the development of human capital.