US Vice Secretary: We need serious partners and leadership in Kosovo

She made these comments with the case of granting software for fingerprint identification, known as the AFIS.

“The AFIS is a criminal database system that processes, modifys, controls, finds and preserves fingerprints and palms to identify perpetrators. It is used to process information from crime scenes, help ban centres and border crossings and coordinate information exchange with international law enforcement agencies like INTERPOL. This US donation represents a million-dollar investment in Kosovo, as a powerful partner of law enforcement that is strengthening its commitment to rule of law”, she said.

Madison stressed that assistance to the AKF is only a small part of the law enforcement and justice sector, including funds for the Kosovo Police, the Kosovo Academy for Public Security, the Kosovo Police Inspectorate, the Prosecutorial Council and the Ministry of Justice and Home Affairs.

“The US makes these investments in Kosovo in hopes that Kosovo will remain a partner for peace, justice and prosperity in the region. Transnational organised crime affects all countries, and we all benefit when we manage to facilitate co-operation and improve the skills of other nations. Kosovo has achieved significant progress in strengthening its institutions of rule of law, legislation and judicial efficiency. But public confidence remains low. Failure to address corruption will eventually undermine even the best written laws and the most reformed institutions and Kosovo citizens deserve better. We want to help you make progress and we need serious partners and leadership in the government, in the judiciary, the Assembly, the police and among the population to be successful”, she said.

Interior Affairs Minister Ekrem Mustafa has said that Kosovo is one of the few states that has such a donation.

“We will thank the partners and we will support them until Kosovo has an advanced standard in forensics”, he said.