- Sputnik International
World
Get the latest news from around the world, live coverage, off-beat stories, features and analysis.

McCain Hails Kosovo as Beacon of Democratic Development, Pledges US Aid

© AFP 2023 / ARMEND NIMANIKosovo Albanians wave the Kosovo flag during a celebration marking the 4th anniversary of the Kosovo's declaration of independence in Pristina on February 17, 2012
Kosovo Albanians wave the Kosovo flag during a celebration marking the 4th anniversary of the Kosovo's declaration of independence in Pristina on February 17, 2012 - Sputnik International
Subscribe
US Senator John McCain has hailed former Yugoslavia's republic of Kosovo as a developing democracy that the United Stats had been supporting "from the very beginning" in its attempts to gain independence from Serbia.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Kosovo is rapidly emerging as a strong, democratic, multi-ethnic nation that will continue to receive enthusiastic support from the United States, McCain said in a speech to the nation’s parliament on Thursday.

"I want you to know that Members of the United States Congress in both political parties are fully committed to working with you to support peace and prosperity in Kosovo and throughout the wider region," McCain stated. "Indeed the United States’ commitment to Kosovo has been bipartisan from the very beginning."

McCain praised Europe’s newest nation for having adopted a constitution, built a government from the ground up and having joined international organizations such as the International Monetary Fund and World Bank.

Kosovar Albanians walk under the EU and Kosovo flags in the main square of Pristina on May 4, 2016. - Sputnik International
Kosovo Candidly Threatens Christian Serbs With Ethnic Purge
Ultimately, McCain added, Kosovo’s long-term security is rooted in its political and security relationships with the United States, NATO and other international partners with shared values.

Despite McCain’s optimism, Kosovo is beset with corruption, organized crime and Islamic extremists, according to published reports. Since declaring independence in 2008, Kosovo has also served as a staging ground for attacks on neighboring Balkan nations such as Macedonia.

Reports also detail plans by Albanian radicals in Kosovo and elsewhere in the region to form a "Greater Albania," by carving out territory from neighboring states.

Newsfeed
0
To participate in the discussion
log in or register
loader
Chats
Заголовок открываемого материала