Kosovo–United States relations
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Kosovar–American relations are foreign relations between Kosovo and the United States. The United States officially recognized the Republic of Kosovo as a country, which declared independence from Serbia on February 17, 2008, the next day. U.S. President George W. Bush on February 19, 2008 stated that recognizing Kosovo as an independent nation would "bring peace to a region scarred by war".
According to the 2012 U.S. Global Leadership Report, 87% of Kosovars approve of U.S. leadership, the highest rating for any survey in Europe. According to a 2016 report by Gallup, Kosovo led the region and the world again in approval for the second consecutive year, with 85% approving of U.S. leadership.
The United States of America assisted Albanians in fighting Yugoslavia during the Kosovo War by deploying military forces and aircraft. The Kosovar people expressed gratitude to the United States by parading through streets with U.S. flags and thanking the U.S. for their support through the war. Kosovo has also named certain places in Pristina after U.S. leaders such as Bill Clinton Ave and George W. Bush Street. The US established full diplomatic relations at Ambassador level with the Republic of Kosovo. Kosovo considers the United States its greatest partner in gaining recognition from the rest of the world, and such view is also expressed from United States Officials.
The United States and Kosovo established diplomatic relations on February 18, 2008. The bilateral ties the United States shares with Kosovo are maintained through the U.S. Embassy in Pristina, which was opened on April 8, 2008 by then-Chargé d'Affaires ad interim Tina Kaidanow. Prior to the declaration of independence, the United States maintained U.S. Office Pristina (USOP), with a chief of mission. The US also continues to contribute troops to the Kosovo Force (KFOR), and will be providing staff to the ICO and EULEX missions.
During the European Commission-hosted international Donors' Conference on July 11, 2008 the United States pledged $400 million for 2008–2009 to support, among many other things, helping relieve debt Kosovo may inherit. U.S. assistance in Kosovo continues to support governance through strengthening civil society and political processes, especially targeting minority communities, and aims to strengthen economic institutions and help private enterprise grow.
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