Albanians For America

For three decades, the relationship between Kosova and the United States has been built on an alliance that has proven itself during the most defining moments of history. Today, that alliance has an opportunity to enter a new phase with the launch of the Strategic Dialogue.

In January 2024, during his visit to Kosova, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources Richard R. Verma announced that the Strategic Dialogue process would soon be finalized.

This announcement also signaled that U.S.–Kosova relations were entering a new, more structured, and deeper phase.

Kosova has built a unique relationship with the United States, shaped by history, trust, and partnership. This relationship goes beyond traditional diplomacy, as American support has been essential to Kosova’s path toward freedom, independence, and the consolidation of its statehood.

It is precisely on this historical foundation and the trust built over the years that the Strategic Dialogue represents a natural step toward deepening and expanding cooperation between the two countries.

The U.S. Department of State conducts Strategic Dialogues with countries with which it seeks long-term coordination in areas such as defense, security, energy, the economy, technology, and foreign policy.

In recent years, the United States has held Strategic Dialogues with France, the United Kingdom, Romania, Austria, Poland, Slovenia, Moldova, Greece, North Macedonia, and several other countries.

Therefore, for Kosova, a Strategic Dialogue with the United States would be the natural next step in a partnership that has been decisive for the country’s freedom, independence, and state-building. It would deepen the existing cooperation with the ally that has played the most decisive role in the modern history of Kosova. Nevertheless, the path toward launching this process proved to be more complicated than expected.

On September 12, 2025, the U.S. Embassy in Prishtina announced that the Strategic Dialogue with Kosova had been suspended indefinitely. The reason given was that the actions of the caretaker government had increased tensions and instability in the north, limiting the ability of the United States to work with Kosova on shared priorities.

At the time, the suspension was linked to the actions of the government in northern Kosova, which the United States viewed with skepticism and considered to have implications for regional stability.

Time has shown that the circumstances leading to the suspension did not develop into the long-term crisis that had been feared. Kosova’s institutional stability was preserved, and the north gradually entered a more stable phase.

Nevertheless, despite these developments, the suspension of the Strategic Dialogue remains in effect. Since the circumstances that led to this decision have changed and the security situation in the north has become more stable, all the necessary conditions now exist for the Strategic Dialogue to begin.

There is no longer any real obstacle that justifies delaying the Strategic Dialogue. A suspension may be temporary, but a true alliance is not diminished by the circumstances of the moment.

Relations between Kosova and the United States have withstood numerous political changes in both Prishtina and Washington. For that reason, a frozen process should not become a missed opportunity.

Kosova’s relationship with the United States is existential. Launching the Strategic Dialogue would only strengthen that bond even further.

Kosova is a loyal partner of the United States and became a state thanks to decisive American engagement. In 1999, the United States, leading NATO, intervened to stop the ethnic cleansing of the Albanians of Kosova.

Kosova’s freedom—and later its independence—cannot be understood without Washington’s leadership.

This strong relationship is also reflected among the people. In nearly every international survey, Kosovars rank among the most pro-American populations in the world.

Support for the United States is not merely a political preference, but part of the collective consciousness of the people of Kosova, who see America as the source of their salvation, freedom, and statehood.

From this perspective, the Strategic Dialogue is not—and should not be—treated as a favor, but as the expression of a partnership that already exists.

The resumption of the Strategic Dialogue appears more necessary than ever in light of current political and geostrategic developments.

The United States is advancing its Strategic Dialogue with Serbia, while Belgrade still refuses to recognize Kosova’s sovereignty.

Serbia has yet to provide full answers on many issues inherited from the war. War crimes, systematic sexual violence, the fate of those forcibly disappeared, and the lack of justice for victims remain unresolved issues that require accountability and justice.

The case of the Bytyqi brothers remains a direct test of U.S.–Serbia relations. Three American citizens of Kosovar origin were killed in Serbia, and justice for this crime has yet to be delivered.

Likewise, discrimination against Albanians in the Presevo Valley continues to be a serious human rights issue.

Beyond that, Serbia maintains a close partnership with China and has continued its privileged relationship with Russia even after Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. These are issues of direct strategic importance to Washington.

While Serbia continues to maintain strong ties with actors outside the Euro-Atlantic community, Kosova has clearly chosen the Euro-Atlantic path.

It is aligned with Euro-Atlantic policies, supports sanctions against Russia, seeks NATO membership, and remains aligned with American interests.

Kosova has become part of the Board of Peace as one of its founding members, following an invitation from President Donald Trump.

The fact that Kosova was invited to become part of an international peace and security initiative demonstrates that Washington already regards Kosova as a strategic partner. Therefore, launching the Strategic Dialogue would be a natural continuation of that partnership.

Given Kosova’s clear Euro-Atlantic orientation, the extraordinary support that its people have for the United States, and the changed circumstances that led to the suspension of the Strategic Dialogue, the conditions for reactivating this process today appear not only favorable but also strategically necessary.

Therefore, the time to launch the U.S.–Kosova Strategic Dialogue is now. This is not a favor to Kosova, nor is it a diplomatic concession. It is recognition of an alliance that was proven in war, strengthened in peace, and consistently supported by the people of Kosova.

The United States and Kosova already act as strategic partners. Therefore, the Strategic Dialogue should begin—not to create a new partnership, but to elevate the existing one to a more structured, better coordinated, and longer-term level, as befits the most important alliance in the history of the Republic of Kosova.