Kurti's government paid two lobbyists over $250,000, except two eye-to-eye meetings for Kosovo relations - US

Kosovo's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has paid around $277,000 to companies owned by Aferdita Rakipi and Avni Mustafaj to lobby in the United States. This fee has been made for the period from July last year until January 2024. What meetings did they have?

Initially, “REL” He published the expenses of the above-mentioned persons, which shows that even though their contract said they would lobby within the US, most of them “ have been implemented in Kosovo.

It was also found that high amounts of money were spent on food during these meetings and on trips.

As seen in data that has been taken from data delivery for activities according to the Foreign Agents Record Act (FARA) in the US Department of Justice, a total of six meetings have been held in six months, by the two persons paid by Kosovo's MPJ.

Aferdita Rakipi for the first half of her contract, there wasJust two contacts. None of them, apparently, have been eye - to - eyed.

On September 21, 2023, she exchanged an email with Michael Schimd, regional director at Senator Gary Peters' office. As a reason for this communication, it has been given:

“Communification for US policies towards Kosovo”.

On October 13th, 2023, she had a virtual meeting with US Assistant Secretary of State James O'Brien and Deputy Secretary of State Garbeil Escobar, where she talked about “The increased presence of KFOR, progress in dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, account for war crimes and EU membership”.

Avni Mustafaj on the other side, over <x0) And his six months, he had a total of them. Four contacts.

On September seventh, he met with a legislative director of the Ritchie Torres office, called Zach Grossman. The discussion had to do with “The recent events in Kosovo, discussion of the Albanian Affairs Group”.

On September 21, he had an eye - to - eye meeting with emissar Gabriel Escobar, where he reportedly had an eye - to - face meeting “-discussion for the possibilities of co-operation between the Albanian-American communities and to reinforce dialogue between the US and Kosovo”.

On October 6, 2023, he had a virtual meeting with the Republican representative, Elissa Slotkin, where he was discussed about the Baynka attack and the next steps.

Same as Rakipi, on October 13, 2023, he had a virtual meeting with Escobar O'Brie.

Criticals for the Entrance

The signing of the contract in question had been followed with intense criticism, all because of doubts about close connections between the people in question and the chief diplomat Gervala.

Rakipi was reportedly linked to Foreign Minister Donika Grovalla. The last one labeled Rakipi in a post as a Facebook reading challenge.

Rakipi, in some posts, has been a supporter of the criticism of the United States. Especially with American attitudes around the north.

The United States is digging against taking their offices from the elected democratic heads. Could it have happened differently, but since when do we punish a country for its democracy? Something's seriously wrong with American politics. ” in a separate post from Rakipi.

At the time, former diplomat Petrit Selimi was expressed as follows:

“While the Kosovo government signed “consultancy contracts” with “servile” in diaspora, which are in public history criticising the American government, the Serbian government just signed the second consultancy contract, now a $720,000 deal with the democratic trend @ KARVCom to explain Serbian government policies”. He wrote.

It is noteworthy that the contract was signed shortly after tensions in the north, for which the American government had blamed the Government of Kosovo, until it had warned of consequences in relations between the two countries.