Escobar: Kosovo is an extremely good partner in the region

US Special Envoy for the Balkans Gabriel Escobar, after signing the energy agreement between the Millennium Challenge Corporation and Kosovo, said the agreement is a sign of deepening co-operation between Kosovo and the United States.

“Kosovo is an extremely good partner in the region, it is a compatible country in our relationship in the region. All we can do to deepen co-operation, we are happy to do”, he said.

Regarding the risk of impacting the situation created in Ukraine and Moscow's goals on the Western Balkans, Mr. Escobar expressed optimism about the setback of these goals in the region.

We have never seen such unity that we now have within NATO and the unity we have with our European partners to ensure that European security is our top priority. In this context we also consider the Western Balkans and I believe that the Western Balkans will be in order”, he said, for Voice of America.

He added that despite various challenges, all countries in the region have the support and attention of the United States.

The United States and Kosovo signed the US Millennium Challenge Challenge Programme agreement Wednesday in Washington, through which over $226m is expected to be invested in the energy sector. 202 million will be provided by the US government.

The agreement, which according to Kosovo officials, is the biggest investment to be made in the energy sector in the past 40 years, was signed by Kosovo Economy Minister Artane Rizvanolli Berisha and the head of the Millennium Challenge Corporation, Alice Albright.

The aim of American financial assistance is to ensure the independence of the energy sector in Kosovo, focusing on preserving electricity for periods when the need is greater, especially in winter times.

The project also aims at increasing human resources, especially training women and employing them in the Kosovo energy sector, a area that is largely dominated by men. / VoA/