Valë Gjonbalaj-Azemi

ᴠᴇᴛᴇ̈ᴠᴇɴᴅᴏsᴊᴇ.

[Albin Kurti @albinkurti]

We are deeply saddened by the news from Spain about the tragic train crash that claimed many lives. Our thoughts are with the victims and their families, and we wish the rescue teams strength in their efforts.

[Albin Kurti @albinkurti]

It was a pleasure to meet @SenGaryPeters in Washington, following our meeting in Prishtina last year. As a proud voice of Michigan’s Albanian community, he is a steadfast friend of Kosova. We discussed regional challenges and the future of our close partnership, and I expressed my gratitude for his continued support.

[Albin Kurti @albinkurti]

Great to meet with Florida Congresswoman @RepKatCammack. Kosova and the U.S. share a storied and strong defense partnership, and we discussed ways to further our collaboration. I also highlighted to the Congresswoman the progress made in strengthening the rule of law during our mandate, and we explored opportunities for cooperation in agriculture, energy, and infrastructure investment. We are grateful for Congresswoman Cammack’s acknowledgment of the strong democracy we’ve built and the alignment with our Western allies.

[Albin Kurti @albinkurti]

It was a pleasure to meet @SenJoniErnst in her Senate office. We spoke about the current situation in Kosova, our quadrupled defense investments, rule of law reforms, and opportunities for U.S. investments in major infrastructure projects.

A true friend of Kosova – we’ll miss her in the Senate, but look forward to welcoming her to Prishtina once again soon.

[Albin Kurti @albinkurti]

Always a pleasure to meet with @SenatorSlotkin. I congratulated her on her election to the U.S. Senate last year and thanked her for her strong support for Kosova. We discussed the significant recent progress in the defense and security partnership between Kosova and the United States, including major increases in military acquisitions. We also agreed to work together on concrete ways to further enhance relations between Kosova and the United States, as well as to bring American business investment to Kosova.

[Albin Kurti @albinkurti]

A pleasure to meet with @SenatorShaheen, who visited Kosova shortly after the Banjska terrorist attack and showed her support for our country. We discussed Kosova’s strong economic growth, achievements in the rule of law that are decisively acknowledged by the Gallup report, and the close defense partnership with the U.S.

[Albin Kurti @albinkurti]

It was a great pleasure to join the Hudson Institute yesterday in a roundtable titled “The Growing Kosova–U.S. Partnership in Defense and Development.” NATO is part of Kosova’s political DNA, both because of the principled humanitarian decision to stop the genocide 26 years ago and because our future is defined by our value-driven aspirations to join the organization. The security of Kosova is fundamentally the security of Europe.

From a nascent country to a trusted ally with a thriving democracy and a flourishing economy that is increasingly recognized on the world stage, Kosova stands strong and virtuous. Together with the United States, we now share a relationship of military co-deployments and zero tariffs. As a country, we are also a first line of defense against malign influences from Russia.

https://t.co/hXjUU2pTNw

[Albin Kurti @albinkurti]

A pleasure to meet with Congressman @RitchieTorres @RepRitchie, a powerful voice in championing Kosova’s democratic and economic progress. We discussed our ambitions to join NATO and the EU, the country’s promising tech sector, and forthcoming infrastructural investments, among other topics.

[Albin Kurti @albinkurti]

A warm and positive meeting on Capitol Hill with @RepMcGovern. I updated Congressman McGovern on recent developments in Kosova and thanked him for his tireless advocacy for justice for the Bytyqi Brothers, and for his commitment to advancing relations between Kosova and the United States. We also agreed to work together to find ways of enhancing economic cooperation between our countries, especially by increasing business investment.

[Albin Kurti @albinkurti]

Great to meet with Congressman @RepMikeLawler. We discussed Russia’s influence in Europe and the Western Balkans, Kosova’s staunch pro-Western stance, and the significant democratic and economic progress achieved. We also spoke about ways to deepen the partnership with the US, including in the economic domain.

[Albin Kurti @albinkurti]

A great meeting with 🇺🇸 @RepGLatimer, in which we discussed recent developments in Kosova and the region. Congressman Latimer praised Kosova as a strong democratic state and a stabilizing force in the Western Balkans. He also reconfirmed a broad bipartisan consensus in support of our country. We agreed to continue working together to promote the common values and interests of our two states, including on infrastructure investment and economic cooperation, in light of our Government's recent decision to remove all tariffs on U.S. imports.

[Rep. George Latimer @RepGLatimer]

I was honored to meet with Prime Minister Kurti of the Republic of Kosovo. As a young nation, Kosovo has made great strides improving living standards while maintaining democratic principles. Keeping strong ties with allies like Kosovo is the best way to maintain peace, prosperity and democracy in America and abroad.

[Albin Kurti @albinkurti]

Many thanks to @TheNewSchool for inviting me to deliver a keynote speech at their event, "Supporting Ordinary Citizens in an Economic Crisis: What the World Can Learn from Kosova", on the margins of #UNGA80 High-Level Week. As a country and as a Government, we are proud to have been ranked by the World Bank as having implemented the largest aid package in the region, as a percentage of GDP, to help citizens cope with the global cost-of-living and energy crisis.

In my address and subsequent interview with Senior Research Fellow Leah Zamore, we discussed how Kosova has managed not only to help its people face the crisis, but also to do so without increasing tax rates or public debt. Through measures targeted toward our most vulnerable citizens, and substantial progress against corruption and waste, Kosova has succeeded in achieving sustainable growth, while reducing social inequality.

It is an honor for Kosova to be held up as a model for other countries. But I also emphasized that the fight for a more just and prosperous society is far from over. During our Government's next four-year mandate, we will continue to build on our existing efforts — both in helping citizens cope with the global rise in prices, and in ensuring that all of our people share in Kosova's economic progress.

FULL SPEECH:
https://t.co/hymuoEUEdk

[Albin Kurti @albinkurti]

Commemorating 9/11 is always a sorrowful experience. Visiting the memorial today was particularly moving. It is difficult to comprehend that a city so fast-paced and vibrant was struck by such devastation. This memorial honors not only the unspeakable acts of bravery shown by people saving one another, but also the tremendous loss: nearly 3,000 lives taken and tens of thousands who continue to suffer from related illnesses. Yet it also stands as a reminder of the resilience, unity, and spirit of New York and the United States.

[Albin Kurti @albinkurti]

It was a pleasure to welcome Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell of Grenada to the Consulate General of Kosova in New York for a bilateral meeting during #UNGA80.

I expressed my gratitude for Grenada’s longstanding support for Kosova, including in international organizations. We discussed strengthening our bilateral relations and expanding cooperation and partnership opportunities.

[Albin Kurti @albinkurti]

It was a pleasure to meet with Prime Minister Briceño of Belize (@JohnBricenoBZE) today on the sidelines of UNGA. Kosova and Belize already enjoy cooperation, but there are great opportunities to collaborate, including on issues concerning sustainability.

[Albin Kurti @albinkurti]

A warm and productive meeting with Sayyid Badr bin Hamad bin Hamood Albusaidi, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Sultanate of Oman. I informed Minister Albusaidi of Kosova's robust economic growth and positive investment climate. We agreed to take concrete steps towards enhancing relations between our two countries, including through educational exchange; promotion of investment in agriculture and other industries; and new bilateral agreements.

[Albin Kurti @albinkurti]

It was a pleasure to meet Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever (@Bart_DeWever). I highlighted Kosova’s progress and our commitment to joining the EU and NATO, and we discussed developments in our relationship, including the addition of a new military attaché to our mission in Brussels. Beyond security and defense, we also explored other forms of cooperation.

[Albin Kurti @albinkurti]

Shortly after landing, I had the pleasure of meeting Congressman Keith Self on the sidelines of #UNGA80 High-Level Week. I thanked him for his positions and public support for Kosova and our future NATO membership. We agreed to continue strengthening the fruitful cooperation between our institutions and the U.S. Congress.

[Albin Kurti @albinkurti]

Our military cooperation with the United States continues to advance with strong strides. This week, we received the transfer of 50 Armored Security Vehicles (ASVs) from the United States, which will be operationalized by the Kosova Security Force. The security of Kosova is essential to the security of the entire region, and we are grateful for our partnership with the United States in this area and beyond.