U.S. ambassador says Albania gets high credits for assisting Kosova

TIRANA, Feb. 25 – The United States may commit some US$400 million (282 million) for the Kosovar economy at an international donors’ conference to be held later this year, the U.S. ambassador to Tirana said Monday.
Kosovo proclaimed independence earlier this month, which has been rejected as illegal by Serbia and its ally Russia.
The U.S., together with France, Germany and Britain, moved extend formal recognition of Kosovo as an independent, sovereign state immediately after its proclamation of independence.
John L. Withers, U.S. Ambassador to Tirana, took part in a forum Monday titled, “Kosovo, post-independence challenges,” organized by the EdiSud media group (Gazeta Shqiptare, News24, Radio Rash and BalkanWeb).
During the forum, Withers recited lines from a poem by Albanian poet Dhori Qirjazi.
” ‘I have noticed that when the storm rages, the small birds twitter and cower; only the eagle spreads its wings against the storm.’ And I think that we can all say that last week the eagles were in the sky”, Withers said.
The ambassador also said that Washington was very much committed to continuing its assistance to Kosovo as it moves along its path to democracy and a market economy.
“We will work with international bodies such as the European Union, the UN and NATO to ensure the sustainability of Kosovo. One of our primary focuses will be assisting the economy of Kosovo. We are looking forward to participating in an international donors’ conference within the next few months in which we will commit some 400 million dollars to assist the Kosovar economy.”
The ambassador praised Albania’s “key role Ů in bringing about this happy day in Kosovo. And when stability comes, when Kosovo has created its multi-ethnic democracy, when it has guaranteed the minority rights in its country and when it is on the road to prosperity, I think Albania can rightly claim credit for so much of what has been done.”