CIA Chief Meets With Kurti At End Of Kosovo Visit

CIA Director William Burns held talks on August 23 in Pristina with Prime Minister Albin Kurti before concluding his two-day visit in Kosovo, the Kosovar government said in a statement.

Kurti thanked Burns for Washington's continuous support for Kosovo and voiced Pristina's dedication to deepening bilateral cooperation while reaffirming his country's unwavering commitment to democracy, rule-of-law, and Euro-Atlantic integration, the statement said, calling Burns' visit "historic."

On August 22, Burns met with Kosovar President Vjosa Osmani and the head of Kosovo's Intelligence Agency (KIA), Petrit Ajeti, according to a Facebook post by Osmani, who wrote on August 23 that her country's alliance with the United States was "a guarantee of security, peace and success.”

Burns, who arrived in Kosovo after reported stops earlier this week in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia, Bulgaria, and North Macedonia during an unannounced tour amid concerns about U.S. relations with Kosovo and Russian influence in the Balkans, did not make any comment at the end of his visit.

According to the flight-tracking website Flightradar24, a U.S. military plane believed to be used to fly the CIA chief made stops in those countries although his tour was not confirmed officially by U.S. authorities.

Burns' visit to Kosovo follows concerns about the partnership between the United States and Kosovo, especially regarding the government's handling of issues related to the country's Serb minority.

Jeffrey Hovenier Speaks To RFE/RL

In an interview last week with RFE/RL's Kosovo Service, U.S. Ambassador to Kosovo Jeffrey Hovenier said the U.S. administration had been "challenged" by Kosovar Prime Minister Albin Kurti and his government and the “quality of our partnership is not what we would hope it would be on some of these issues."

The U.S. State Department has urged Kurti to return to "constructive and close engagement" with Washington, the European Union, and NATO.

Proposed Bridge Opening Raises Tensions With Kosovo Serbs

Due to security concerns, the United States is also urging Kosovo not to reopen a bridge in Mitrovica which divides the northern city into an Albanian-majority southern side and a Serb-majority northern side,.