Kosovo's president faces mixed reactions during US visit
Kosovo's president Vjosa Osmani is in Washington at the invitation of a group of American congress members to attend the National Prayer Breakfast. Experts on international relations view her visit to the US positively, although they argue that the Prayer Breakfast is not a "highly significant event."
The National Prayer Breakfast is held annually in February, with participation from high-ranking American politicians and foreign guests, CE Report quotes Kosova Press.
University professor Dritëro Arifi notes that any visit to Washington after the change of the US administration is positive. However, he believes Osmani is part of the "distortion of relations with the US." "We know that [relations] are at their lowest point in Kosovo's history, even though the president, unfortunately, is part of this distortion of relations. We remember the early days of Vetëvendosje's happiness and the president, and when those relations were damaged, then it was realized that the relations weren't good. Nevertheless, better late than never, we hope that these meetings will produce something concrete. But knowing that the government has the decision-making power for every agreement, the presidency will be limited in this regard, with very little influence to build something," he says.
Arifi adds that the National Prayer Breakfast does not hold great significance. "The National Prayer Breakfast is more of a secondary issue than something of major importance. However, our presence at these events is very important, as we can have very important meetings at various levels. Kosovo's representation is, I believe, well done by the president, but this remains very theoretical. In practical terms, we have caused significant damage to these Kosovo-US relations because we have not coordinated our internal policies where coordination was required. We have mocked the word 'coordination' and will suffer the consequences," he adds for KosovaPress.
Jeta Loshaj from the Kosovo Center for Security Studies (QKSS) states that Kosovo is represented at the highest level at this event. "It seems that Kosovo continues to be a reliable ally of the United States of America, due to many unknowns and unpredictabilities regarding global developments. We will have elections ourselves, and it is unclear what kind of government we will have for the next four years. But the administration in the US has changed, and we cannot always expect the US to prioritize Kosovo or this part of the Western Balkans. From what we've seen in the new US administration, President Trump has announced new decisions that indicate there will be other priorities. Therefore, it is uncertain whether Kosovo, the Western Balkans, or Southeast Europe will be on the US agenda," concludes Loshaj.
In the Parliamentary Security Forum, Osmani discussed the "journey of the people of Kosovo from the greatest challenges to today's achievements." From Albania, Deputy Damian Gjiknuri and former Defense Minister Fatmir Mediu attended, while from Serbia, former Speaker Vladimir Marinkovic participated.
In Washington, Osmani also met with Acting Assistant Secretary of State Louis Bono.
On the other hand, Osmani did not attend the inauguration of American President Donald Trump two weeks ago. She said she acted in the same manner as many world leaders who were invited but authorized a lower-level representative.
