Kosovo is celebrating the 17th anniversary of its independence, which was declared on February 17, 2008.
Kosovo recently exited the electoral process and is awaiting the formation of new institutions.
The winner of the February 9 elections was the Self-Determination Movement of current Prime Minister Albin Kurti, but it did not secure the necessary majority of 61 MPs to form an independent government.
A day earlier, Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani announced that she had received a congratulatory letter on the anniversary of independence from United States President Donald Trump.
The message states that Trump “congratulates the people of Kosovo on their path to independence” and emphasizes “the perseverance and determination that have accompanied this process.”
“The ties between our peoples are strong and we look forward to expanding them – especially through increased investment opportunities – with the aim of bringing more prosperity to both our countries,” the letter reads, among other things.
Kurti’s government has been criticized by US officials in recent years for several steps that are considered uncoordinated towards the Serbian community.
Kosovo authorities, among other things, have withdrawn the Serbian dinar from use and closed most Serbian institutions from which Serbs received various services.
The government has justified these moves as an expansion of its authority and in accordance with the country’s laws and constitution.
However, because of these moves, the European Union has taken several punitive measures against Kosovo, suspending certain funds and high-level meetings.
The seventeenth anniversary of independence finds Kosovo as a state recognized by about 117 countries around the world.
The country is a member of several international organizations, such as the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the Olympic Committee, the European Football Association and the FIFA World Football Association, RFE/RL reports.
However, it is still not a member of the United Nations, the European Union, the Council of Europe, and others.
