EXIM Staff Joins U.S. Government Delegation to Advance Historic Kosovo-Serbia Agreement to Pursue Economic Normalization
WASHINGTON - Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM) Chief of Staff David Fogel joined an interagency U.S. delegation, led by U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) CEO Adam Boehler, for a bilateral meeting with Kosovo Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti to discuss implementation of a recent economic normalization agreement between Serbia and Kosovo. EXIM Chief Strategy Officer Luke Lindberg also participated in the delegation.
During the discussion, Fogel underscored EXIM's commitment to supporting economic development in the region, particularly through the export of U.S. goods and services to Kosovo. The discussion also included a focus on supporting small- and medium-sized enterprises, transportation infrastructure, and energy projects in the region. EXIM works closely with DFC, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and other government agencies to support U.S. investment and economic development in the region through trade financing solutions.
During the visit, Special Advisor to the President on Serbia-Kosovo Ambassador Richard Grenell was presented with Kosovo's Presidential Medal of Merits for his work on promoting economic normalization between Serbia and Kosovo.
Other delegation participants included USAID Deputy Administrator Bonnie Glick, and other senior government officials from the U.S. Departments of Energy and Commerce.
Last week, EXIM and DFC signed a Letter of Interest with Kosovo in support of The Peace Highway, a project that is key to promoting economic cooperation between Kosovo and Serbia.
On September 5, 2020, EXIM President and Chairman Kimberly A. Reed issued a statement regarding President Trump's announcement that Serbia and Kosovo committed to economic normalization.
On September 18, EXIM Chairman Reed met with the Republic of Kosovo Minister of Finance Hykmete Bajrami and Ambassador of the Republic of Kosovo to the United States Vlora Citaku at the Kosovo Embassy.
ABOUT EXIM:
EXIM is an independent federal agency that promotes and supports American jobs by providing competitive and necessary export credit to support sales of U.S. goods and services to international buyers. A robust EXIM can level the global playing field for U.S. exporters when they compete against foreign companies that receive support from their governments. EXIM also contributes to U.S. economic growth by helping to create and sustain hundreds of thousands of jobs in exporting businesses and their supply chains across the United States. In recent years, approximately 90 percent of the total number of the agency's authorizations has directly supported small businesses. Since 1992, EXIM has generated more than $9 billion for the U.S. Treasury for repayment of U.S. debt.
For more information about EXIM, please visit www.exim.gov.