U.S. to donate USD 400mn to Kosovo

So the US donates US$400 million and then gets its contractors in to do some work. 6 months later we hear stories of money going missing and of corruption.

In the end, practically nothing gets done and a few politicians get that much richer.

I think America is giving money to Kosova so Kosova can build their army and get their lands back which are still under serbian occupation (Preseva Valley, Leskovac, Nish, Kurshumlija). Great move!

Throwing good money after bad.
How long before it sinks in that Kosovo is a bottomless pit and aid stops?

I can't imagine these governments convincing their citizens that sending so much money to Kosovo is better than investing in their health care or education.

So much already wasted on Wars waged around the world and now this. I think any government foolish enough to keep going with this will pay at the next election.

I am proud to be an American and hope the best for Kosovo's future.

to Coments 1&2
Why you people have to be sarcastic and negative for everything good that happens in Kosova. Can't you find a little bit of kindness in your hearts for ones. After all before being Albanians, or Serbs, or Americans, we are first human beings, you know Homos Sapiens, which means basically creatures that uses their brains before their instincts.

Peggy, sure USA knows Kosovo is a bottomless pit,that is why they will get so much less then planned.This is a symbolic gesture.
But it's sure a nice amount to get at least two useful projects off the ground:
building of the highest skyscraper in Europe and opening of a Porche store in downtown Prishtina.

It's called chump change, or better yet, fools gold. With it comes the heavy burden of doing the masters bidding.

So, lets go shopping!

With at least $200 million going towards administration of funds, the remaining should be enough to buy a couple villas in S. France, fleet of Mercedes, and let us not forget, fresh ORGANS from albania.

This giving tree will someday fall, and when it does, either in this lifetime of the next, MARGIN WILL CALL and Serbia alongside Mother Russia will be there to collect.

Peter Sudyka

To conclude, even the poorest EU countries, like Poland, Bulgaria, Romania, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia and Hungary, compared to Kosovo, are Beverley Hills compared to Africa.
=============================
Don't you forget that Kosovo just had a war years before and those countries you have mentioned above havent been under any countires Rule like Kosovo has been under Yugoslavia..There hasnt been any investment in kosovo since 1989 since milosevic came in power. Kosovo's economy was being used to build Novo Beograd, That's how belgrade looks different from 20 years ago from wealth of TREPCA(north of Kosovo) New Belgrade was constructed. I have facts for this because My father was working in Trepca and all the Minerals that were dug from Trepca were transported to Belgrade by Train Wagons. Please Peter Kosovo cant be compared to some countires you mentioned because those countires havent been in war. Dont you Forget that Germany in WW2 was poorer than Kosovo. Any Kosovo citizens income were better than any Germans in 1940s. Kosovo is a small country and very rich in minerals pretty soon with the new power station being build will be the main source of power for the Eastern and Southern EUROPE with some investments it can be the most developed country in Balkans.

It has made a big progress in Infrastucture building the high standart highways and roads only months after independence US is amazed with the progress being made in Kosovo only months after independence

GOOD LUCK KOSOVO you will show the rest how rich you are

This is a good start, and I'm grateful for my my country's investment in Balkan stability and a bright future for Kosova.

Hopefully the Kosovar government will have a good degree of transparency so the people can see where the money is going, and hopefully the unemployment rate will decrease even more (it used to be around 60%, so already an improvement). I have high hopes and am waiting to have them meet my expectations!

ZK,
I know that you love to look dark every prospect of Kosova's future. That is your own problem but I was expecting from you something like "Russia will match the America's aid with 500 million of aid for the Serbian minority in Kosova")))
Let's be positive for the sake of peace and stability)

Peter Sudyka,
Kosova in darkest days was never sufering like poland, Romania , or Bulgaria .These are countires that I use to live for some time.The Europe draged poland Romania and bulgaria in with havy price for their economy.
Bulgaria , only 1997 was worse than Albania ,kosova , bosnia even worse than moldova ,and you wanna tell me that they suddenly became smart and rich so they can join EU , same like sllovenia ?!.My family had some friends from poland, and they use to come every year almost since 1980 1988 ,at our house , (gest),and I remember my father telling us "please be carefull nothing fency, cloth, food etc. so they don't feel bad".don't walk around with bannanas ,so we always repected that.Now I feel like , why in the earth i had to listen to my father, so piter suduka can one day copmare polands economy (25 milion pop.) with Kosovo (2 mil),and feel supeior.Yes polnd can become the richest country in the world with EU and US help,but I'm not sure if EU ,US can help any country to become more human.We might not be rich financially , but we have something that is more worth than money , FREEDOM.
As Gezim Disha said "having their money as donation would feel like taking money from a beggar’s dirty hat on the side of the street". and thats the truth, poland migh be the richest country , but this is how we see poland and we really feel guilty taking their money, because not so long ago we know their position and is hard to believe that EU kept pumping billions and billions in poland , and for 1 billion for Kosova even you had to come and write down you comments, in the news that has nothing to do with poland.

Yeah, Poland and Romania are Beverly Hills alright.
That's why on the march to Western Europe, the Romanian pickpocketer is closely followed by the Polish plumber.

Peggy, you wrote "How long before it sinks in that Kosovo is a bottomless pit and aid stops? "

I think they already know it but in the end it will hardly be any 400 millions, more like 40 at max, and just like ZK UK said I belive most of it will go to Halliburton and Blackwater, a few millions will also without a doubt end up in Thacis pockets and the other fat cats in Pristinas

Hermon,

Those Serbian nationalists feel that anything what is good for Kosova is automatically bad for Serbia. They are very upset to read this kind of news. They would like to see the economic strangulation of this newest independant state. The Russians come to my mind, who during the famous Berlin airlift wanted to strangulate West-Berlin. At their great chagrin the US/EU will provide the needed support, this new airlift until this new state get fortified.
I am personally glad to see a tiny fraction of my tax dollars going to Kosova. Considering the billions wasted right and left this is a small amount going to the right place.

Thank you USA.
Europe owes us a lot more than that. Surely we deserve a lot more than what Europe can come up with for the hundred years of Serbian rule.
As for Peter’s Poland, having their money as donation would feel like taking money from a beggar’s dirty hat on the side of the street.
So thank you Peter, but no, thank you.

A USA exploration of a Black Hole depth? Good luck!

I wonder how much of pledged will actually come to pass and how much of it ordinary Pristina folk will see of it. Very little I'd imagine.

Then again Belgrade still owns alot of the real estate in Kosmet and if Cheney and his pals come a-knocking, Belgrade will come-a-walking.........

to the courts.

eu spent four bil since 1999 by their own admission. thats 4 billion, albanians :)
it poured four bil down a hole in the ground more precisely.
hey any of the guys reading in australia, all this money might resurface there :)
or maybe criminals got it. hm, which could it be. its a poser :))

Assuming the 1 bn USD figure is correct, that would be some 640 m Euros. Now of course this is just _pledged_ money, and it'll come distributed over a few years, and a good portion of it won't come as cash but goods and services.

Anyway, let's generously assume 200 m Euros per year for the next 3-4 years.

Considering that Kosovo's annual GDP is estimated at around 2 bn Euros, about half of which is already generated by remittances from abroad - then that's really nothing to be excited about. It's certainly not going to cure the economy.

Maybe AMERICA should stop donating 180$ mn to Serbia. Englad as well, and Denmark, and other EU countries.
One billion EUR isn't that much to jumpstart the economy, one bill for the next four years.

KV

"Maybe AMERICA should stop donating 180$ mn to Serbia. Englad as well, and Denmark, and other EU countries.
One billion EUR isn't that much to jumpstart the economy, one bill for the next four years.
(KV, 3 July 2008 16:20) "

Taxes in the EU are some of the highest in the world, I myself pay over 40% of my income towards taxes, I am sure my fellow EU citizens in the Western EU pay more or less the same if not more, and it would be a shame to learn that some of it goes towards some country that no one cares about.

If Kosovo is ever to be considered as a potential candidate, it needs to prove it is capable of adjusting to EU standards, as every member has at some stage of its existance, rather than be a charity case that parasites off the taxes of the average EU citizen (be they German, French, Dutch, Swedish, Polish, Hungarian, Estonian or Romanian).

veki

"building of the highest skyscraper in Europe and opening of a Porche store in downtown Prishtina.
(veki, 3 July 2008 18:41) "

I believe it's the highest in the Balkans, not Europe. The highest skyscapers in Europe are in Moscow, Frankfurt, Madrid, Warsaw and London, I highly doubt Pristina can compare. Either way, they would have to build something over 270m in height, which I am sorry to say, but I can't imagine.

I don't understand.

I keep reading that Albania and Kosovo are swimming in oil and lands of untold mineral riches. Why can't they just put up a (very) small portion of these riches as collateral and then all be driving mercedez benz's and BMWs (as in those who aren't the mafia)?

I can't believe the West keeps on falling for the 'poor kosovo albanians' story.

Failing that, the kosovo albanians can ask their bosnian moslem brothers up in Tuzla if they will share their massive oil wealth (apparently they are sitting on over 400 million barrels worth)?

Gezim Disha

That's funny, an economy worth $620.9 billion (Poland's, top 20 in the world) would be someone for with an economy worth $3.237 billion (Kosovo's, somehwere around top 150, if not less) a goldmine for anyone with any common sense, but since Kosovo is so far ahead of everyone that it can look down on anyone as you do, nevermind what I said.

To conclude, even the poorest EU countries, like Poland, Bulgaria, Romania, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia and Hungary, compared to Kosovo, are Beverley Hills compared to Africa.

It is very funny how b92 reports this storey like it was a faillure by the Kosovo's Government! It always gives a twist to the store by adding something or taking something off. This comment may not be posted but it doesn't matter. The future of kosovo people is not depended on b92 nor Serbia. Thank god for that!

"Thank you USA.
Europe owes us a lot more than that."

Europe owes you nothing. As for the US, we are spending money we don't have -- we are already $9 Trillion dollars in debt.

Peggy; sending money to Serbia is a big waste. Instead of throwing good money to Serbia all that is allotted for Serbia needs to be redirected to those that appreciates it, Kosova does.

"The conference’s main objective will be to reduce unemployment in Kosovo, which is currently at around the 45 percent mark. "

Yes, but tell this to those 12000 ex-Starbucks employees in the US .... and oh, those about-to-be-canned workers in the automobile industry too.

lowe,

I find it very hypocritical that you from all people, who for a long time is hoping to see the political and economic collapse of the US express worries about our unemployed. Keep in mind that our unemployment is still very low compared even to "booming" Germany, where the rate is still some 8,5%.
But the worst is inflation. I just read on Spiegel how bad it is in Germany...people a getting desperate. Well it will continue to escalate in the whole EU. There will be a lot of belt tightening.

Peggy, sure USA knows Kosovo is a bottomless pit,that is why they will get so much less then planned.This is a symbolic gesture.
But it's sure a nice amount to get at least two useful projects off the ground:
building of the highest skyscraper in Europe and opening of a Porche store in downtown Prishtina.
(veki, 3 July 2008 18:41)

EU spent millions of Euros on the power plant at Oblic and Kosovo still has power problems the EU or the donors are not going to invest all this money into Kosovo and the people assume then will get all this money and do as they please and the EU unit who will replace the UNMIK group is not going to be as free wheeling as unmik.

"lowe,

I find it very hypocritical that you from all people, who for a long time is hoping to see the political and economic collapse of the US express worries about our unemployed. ......

(Joe, 4 July 2008 16:32) "

Joe,

Me worried about your unemployed????? Get real! Obviously you can't see the ironic sarcasm in my words!

Spending more and more money abroad when more and more of your own people are in dire straits! Very smart policy in an election year I must say! And no, Joe, I was not praising your Bush and McCain in my previous sentence!

Aids from Poland,Bulgaria or Romania ?! It's just the same case if you seek help from someone from Congo,Somalia or Ethiopia.
How can they offer aid to the others while they self imigrate to West Europe.
You just have to come in Belgium or in Netherlands and you'll be 100% convinced.

And yes,i'm thankful to America, and wish them a happy birthday (4th of june).

I am proud to be an American and hope the best for Kosovo's future.

This is a good start, and I'm grateful for my my country's investment in Balkan stability and a bright future for Kosova.

Hopefully the Kosovar government will have a good degree of transparency so the people can see where the money is going, and hopefully the unemployment rate will decrease even more (it used to be around 60%, so already an improvement). I have high hopes and am waiting to have them meet my expectations!

Gezim Disha

That's funny, an economy worth $620.9 billion (Poland's, top 20 in the world) would be someone for with an economy worth $3.237 billion (Kosovo's, somehwere around top 150, if not less) a goldmine for anyone with any common sense, but since Kosovo is so far ahead of everyone that it can look down on anyone as you do, nevermind what I said.

To conclude, even the poorest EU countries, like Poland, Bulgaria, Romania, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia and Hungary, compared to Kosovo, are Beverley Hills compared to Africa.

to Coments 1&2
Why you people have to be sarcastic and negative for everything good that happens in Kosova. Can't you find a little bit of kindness in your hearts for ones. After all before being Albanians, or Serbs, or Americans, we are first human beings, you know Homos Sapiens, which means basically creatures that uses their brains before their instincts.

Throwing good money after bad.
How long before it sinks in that Kosovo is a bottomless pit and aid stops?

I can't imagine these governments convincing their citizens that sending so much money to Kosovo is better than investing in their health care or education.

So much already wasted on Wars waged around the world and now this. I think any government foolish enough to keep going with this will pay at the next election.

Maybe AMERICA should stop donating 180$ mn to Serbia. Englad as well, and Denmark, and other EU countries.
One billion EUR isn't that much to jumpstart the economy, one bill for the next four years.

Peggy, you wrote "How long before it sinks in that Kosovo is a bottomless pit and aid stops? "

I think they already know it but in the end it will hardly be any 400 millions, more like 40 at max, and just like ZK UK said I belive most of it will go to Halliburton and Blackwater, a few millions will also without a doubt end up in Thacis pockets and the other fat cats in Pristinas

Thank you USA.
Europe owes us a lot more than that. Surely we deserve a lot more than what Europe can come up with for the hundred years of Serbian rule.
As for Peter’s Poland, having their money as donation would feel like taking money from a beggar’s dirty hat on the side of the street.
So thank you Peter, but no, thank you.

I wonder how much of pledged will actually come to pass and how much of it ordinary Pristina folk will see of it. Very little I'd imagine.

Then again Belgrade still owns alot of the real estate in Kosmet and if Cheney and his pals come a-knocking, Belgrade will come-a-walking.........

to the courts.

Yeah, Poland and Romania are Beverly Hills alright.
That's why on the march to Western Europe, the Romanian pickpocketer is closely followed by the Polish plumber.

So the US donates US$400 million and then gets its contractors in to do some work. 6 months later we hear stories of money going missing and of corruption.

In the end, practically nothing gets done and a few politicians get that much richer.

Assuming the 1 bn USD figure is correct, that would be some 640 m Euros. Now of course this is just _pledged_ money, and it'll come distributed over a few years, and a good portion of it won't come as cash but goods and services.

Anyway, let's generously assume 200 m Euros per year for the next 3-4 years.

Considering that Kosovo's annual GDP is estimated at around 2 bn Euros, about half of which is already generated by remittances from abroad - then that's really nothing to be excited about. It's certainly not going to cure the economy.

A USA exploration of a Black Hole depth? Good luck!

It's called chump change, or better yet, fools gold. With it comes the heavy burden of doing the masters bidding.

So, lets go shopping!

With at least $200 million going towards administration of funds, the remaining should be enough to buy a couple villas in S. France, fleet of Mercedes, and let us not forget, fresh ORGANS from albania.

This giving tree will someday fall, and when it does, either in this lifetime of the next, MARGIN WILL CALL and Serbia alongside Mother Russia will be there to collect.

KV

"Maybe AMERICA should stop donating 180$ mn to Serbia. Englad as well, and Denmark, and other EU countries.
One billion EUR isn't that much to jumpstart the economy, one bill for the next four years.
(KV, 3 July 2008 16:20) "

Taxes in the EU are some of the highest in the world, I myself pay over 40% of my income towards taxes, I am sure my fellow EU citizens in the Western EU pay more or less the same if not more, and it would be a shame to learn that some of it goes towards some country that no one cares about.

If Kosovo is ever to be considered as a potential candidate, it needs to prove it is capable of adjusting to EU standards, as every member has at some stage of its existance, rather than be a charity case that parasites off the taxes of the average EU citizen (be they German, French, Dutch, Swedish, Polish, Hungarian, Estonian or Romanian).

veki

"building of the highest skyscraper in Europe and opening of a Porche store in downtown Prishtina.
(veki, 3 July 2008 18:41) "

I believe it's the highest in the Balkans, not Europe. The highest skyscapers in Europe are in Moscow, Frankfurt, Madrid, Warsaw and London, I highly doubt Pristina can compare. Either way, they would have to build something over 270m in height, which I am sorry to say, but I can't imagine.

Hermon,

Those Serbian nationalists feel that anything what is good for Kosova is automatically bad for Serbia. They are very upset to read this kind of news. They would like to see the economic strangulation of this newest independant state. The Russians come to my mind, who during the famous Berlin airlift wanted to strangulate West-Berlin. At their great chagrin the US/EU will provide the needed support, this new airlift until this new state get fortified.
I am personally glad to see a tiny fraction of my tax dollars going to Kosova. Considering the billions wasted right and left this is a small amount going to the right place.

ZK,
I know that you love to look dark every prospect of Kosova's future. That is your own problem but I was expecting from you something like "Russia will match the America's aid with 500 million of aid for the Serbian minority in Kosova")))
Let's be positive for the sake of peace and stability)

Peter Sudyka

To conclude, even the poorest EU countries, like Poland, Bulgaria, Romania, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia and Hungary, compared to Kosovo, are Beverley Hills compared to Africa.
=============================
Don't you forget that Kosovo just had a war years before and those countries you have mentioned above havent been under any countires Rule like Kosovo has been under Yugoslavia..There hasnt been any investment in kosovo since 1989 since milosevic came in power. Kosovo's economy was being used to build Novo Beograd, That's how belgrade looks different from 20 years ago from wealth of TREPCA(north of Kosovo) New Belgrade was constructed. I have facts for this because My father was working in Trepca and all the Minerals that were dug from Trepca were transported to Belgrade by Train Wagons. Please Peter Kosovo cant be compared to some countires you mentioned because those countires havent been in war. Dont you Forget that Germany in WW2 was poorer than Kosovo. Any Kosovo citizens income were better than any Germans in 1940s. Kosovo is a small country and very rich in minerals pretty soon with the new power station being build will be the main source of power for the Eastern and Southern EUROPE with some investments it can be the most developed country in Balkans.

It has made a big progress in Infrastucture building the high standart highways and roads only months after independence US is amazed with the progress being made in Kosovo only months after independence

GOOD LUCK KOSOVO you will show the rest how rich you are

eu spent four bil since 1999 by their own admission. thats 4 billion, albanians :)
it poured four bil down a hole in the ground more precisely.
hey any of the guys reading in australia, all this money might resurface there :)
or maybe criminals got it. hm, which could it be. its a poser :))

Peter Sudyka,
Kosova in darkest days was never sufering like poland, Romania , or Bulgaria .These are countires that I use to live for some time.The Europe draged poland Romania and bulgaria in with havy price for their economy.
Bulgaria , only 1997 was worse than Albania ,kosova , bosnia even worse than moldova ,and you wanna tell me that they suddenly became smart and rich so they can join EU , same like sllovenia ?!.My family had some friends from poland, and they use to come every year almost since 1980 1988 ,at our house , (gest),and I remember my father telling us "please be carefull nothing fency, cloth, food etc. so they don't feel bad".don't walk around with bannanas ,so we always repected that.Now I feel like , why in the earth i had to listen to my father, so piter suduka can one day copmare polands economy (25 milion pop.) with Kosovo (2 mil),and feel supeior.Yes polnd can become the richest country in the world with EU and US help,but I'm not sure if EU ,US can help any country to become more human.We might not be rich financially , but we have something that is more worth than money , FREEDOM.
As Gezim Disha said "having their money as donation would feel like taking money from a beggar’s dirty hat on the side of the street". and thats the truth, poland migh be the richest country , but this is how we see poland and we really feel guilty taking their money, because not so long ago we know their position and is hard to believe that EU kept pumping billions and billions in poland , and for 1 billion for Kosova even you had to come and write down you comments, in the news that has nothing to do with poland.

I think America is giving money to Kosova so Kosova can build their army and get their lands back which are still under serbian occupation (Preseva Valley, Leskovac, Nish, Kurshumlija). Great move!

Aids from Poland,Bulgaria or Romania ?! It's just the same case if you seek help from someone from Congo,Somalia or Ethiopia.
How can they offer aid to the others while they self imigrate to West Europe.
You just have to come in Belgium or in Netherlands and you'll be 100% convinced.

And yes,i'm thankful to America, and wish them a happy birthday (4th of june).

"Thank you USA.
Europe owes us a lot more than that."

Europe owes you nothing. As for the US, we are spending money we don't have -- we are already $9 Trillion dollars in debt.

Peggy, sure USA knows Kosovo is a bottomless pit,that is why they will get so much less then planned.This is a symbolic gesture.
But it's sure a nice amount to get at least two useful projects off the ground:
building of the highest skyscraper in Europe and opening of a Porche store in downtown Prishtina.

I don't understand.

I keep reading that Albania and Kosovo are swimming in oil and lands of untold mineral riches. Why can't they just put up a (very) small portion of these riches as collateral and then all be driving mercedez benz's and BMWs (as in those who aren't the mafia)?

I can't believe the West keeps on falling for the 'poor kosovo albanians' story.

Failing that, the kosovo albanians can ask their bosnian moslem brothers up in Tuzla if they will share their massive oil wealth (apparently they are sitting on over 400 million barrels worth)?

Peggy; sending money to Serbia is a big waste. Instead of throwing good money to Serbia all that is allotted for Serbia needs to be redirected to those that appreciates it, Kosova does.

Peggy, sure USA knows Kosovo is a bottomless pit,that is why they will get so much less then planned.This is a symbolic gesture.
But it's sure a nice amount to get at least two useful projects off the ground:
building of the highest skyscraper in Europe and opening of a Porche store in downtown Prishtina.
(veki, 3 July 2008 18:41)

EU spent millions of Euros on the power plant at Oblic and Kosovo still has power problems the EU or the donors are not going to invest all this money into Kosovo and the people assume then will get all this money and do as they please and the EU unit who will replace the UNMIK group is not going to be as free wheeling as unmik.

It is very funny how b92 reports this storey like it was a faillure by the Kosovo's Government! It always gives a twist to the store by adding something or taking something off. This comment may not be posted but it doesn't matter. The future of kosovo people is not depended on b92 nor Serbia. Thank god for that!

"The conference’s main objective will be to reduce unemployment in Kosovo, which is currently at around the 45 percent mark. "

Yes, but tell this to those 12000 ex-Starbucks employees in the US .... and oh, those about-to-be-canned workers in the automobile industry too.

lowe,

I find it very hypocritical that you from all people, who for a long time is hoping to see the political and economic collapse of the US express worries about our unemployed. Keep in mind that our unemployment is still very low compared even to "booming" Germany, where the rate is still some 8,5%.
But the worst is inflation. I just read on Spiegel how bad it is in Germany...people a getting desperate. Well it will continue to escalate in the whole EU. There will be a lot of belt tightening.

"lowe,

I find it very hypocritical that you from all people, who for a long time is hoping to see the political and economic collapse of the US express worries about our unemployed. ......

(Joe, 4 July 2008 16:32) "

Joe,

Me worried about your unemployed????? Get real! Obviously you can't see the ironic sarcasm in my words!

Spending more and more money abroad when more and more of your own people are in dire straits! Very smart policy in an election year I must say! And no, Joe, I was not praising your Bush and McCain in my previous sentence!