How much Kosovo has paid so far for lobby

Kosovo has for years engaged international consultancy companies to lobby on powerful states. These companies are paid millions of euros from the state budget.

Kosovo President Hashim Thaci has committed one of the most popular lobbyists in Trump Washington, Brian Ballard, who paid 52 thousand euros a month, or $1.2m for the service, as envisioned in the contract, writes Politico.

Based on official documents, Kosovo has been paying American lobby companies since 1992.

The agreement between the president of Kosovo and the lobby company “Ballard Partners” was signed on 22 December 2017.

In a response to the Kosovo Presidency's Information Office to Radio Free Europe, it is said that until contracting this company has been followed by any legal procedure, which was specifically initiated following the request the presidency had made to the Parliamentary Commission for Boards and Finance for sharing of the additional budget for the engagement of an international consultancy company.

This company, according to the Presidency, will support Kosovo initiatives, which concern meeting with the past, will help create a new dynamic in the reconciliation process, but also in other processes such as modernisation and transformation of the Kosovo Security Force into multiethnic forces.

This company will also help modernise and transform the Kosovo Security Force into a multiethnic force and implement joint efforts against terrorism. Also, this American company will assist Kosovo in deepening bilateral co-operation between Kosovo and the United States, expanding bilateral and multilateral relations, economic development and security, promoting trade investments”, the Kosovo Presidency's response is said.

According to Politicos, the company's president, Brian Ballard, at the same time one of the main foundations for the current American president, had briefly talked to President Trump in Florida on 22 April about US relations with Kosovo, and had aired Kosovo's US Ambassador Vlora Citaku's request for a meeting with Kosovo President Hashim Thaci, writes Politico.

Meanwhile, based on an official letter to the Ministry of Justice, this company lobbies for Kosovo since 2017.

One of Ballard's partners is James Rubin, former assistant secretary of state in the administration of former President Bill Clinton.

On the basis of the Ministry of Justice's official letter, this company on several occasions had informed officials in the American Government about events and developments in Kosovo.

Before contracting with Ballard, Tony Podesta, John Podesta's brother who was chief of staff at President Clinton's administration, and later chief of Hilary Clinton's company, had been lounged for Kosovo.

Kosovo had paid “Group” around 50,000 euros a month for lobbiing.

During the time when Foreign Minister Enver Hoxhaj was in 2017, Kosovo had also committed to lobby “Alston & Bird LLP” for strategic consultations concerning Kosovo's reports with the U.S. Government and Congress.

For these services, Kosovo had paid this company $780,000. The deal had lasted from 01.03,2017 to 28,02,2018.

The agreement on behalf of this company was signed by prominent Senator Robert Dole. The same company had an earlier agreement with former President Ibrahim Rugova, worth $360,000 during 2003.

In some cases, the company “Patton Boggs” has lobbied for Kosovo in the US.

Otherwise, Kosovo has been paying for lobby since 1992. According to U.S. Justice Ministry information at the time responsible for the lobby was the company “Ruder Finn”. It was tasked with implementing strategy and communications tactics with the American government, the media, with the United Nations as well as international diplomats.

The value of the contract that time was $5,000 a month.

On the other hand, not all representatives of Kosovo institutions agree that the country will have international consultancy companies.

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs in the Government of Kosovo Anton Berisha tells Radio Free Europe that the best form of lobe is promoting people of culture and sports.

He emphasises that Kosovo must show itself who is with the visits state representatives make to the states of Europe and America.

I'm not a big fan of marketing companies, and so on, I think the best marketing is for institutions to work, our society to function and our embassies to be at the level of duty and set a good example in the countries where we are present. Also, through cultural and sports activities as we have had, I think these are the best ways”, Berisha estimates.

The engagement of international lobbie companies, by civil society representatives, is considered fair. But, according to the director of the Organization “, arise”, Arton Demhay, lobbies that were developed by any international company have managed to do very little.

There must be lobbies because if you don't have lobbies, it's impossible to meet political figures of powerful states, but only in this lobby area for various meetings, meeting to have recognitions from countries that haven't recognised Kosovo or lobbies to membership in different regional and international organisations, but not images, because the image has been destroyed from within and adjusted from within”, Demhajay praises Radio Free Europe.

A year after Kosovo's declaration of independence in 2018, Kosovo institutions tried to create a new image of Kosovo through a 60-second television commercial.

But, according to Demhasey, neither this campaign, for which Kosovo provided millions of euros, failed to regulate Kosovo's image in the world.

“The large European Young Project, which has cost over 5m euros to present Kosovo as a new country, a country with prospects but has not played that role, Kosovo remains one of the most corrupt countries in the region and undeveloped. This bad image does not originate with citizens, but from the government, not the good that Kosovo policy has made”, Demhasaj says.

Kosovo is not the only country in the region that pays for lobbies. It has happened that both Kosovo and Serbia pay the same company for lobbying, as was the case with the Podesta Group.