Pristina, February 14 , 2019 – Today, USAID Mission Director Lisa Magno and the Head of the European Union (EU) Cooperation Section Luigi Brusa signed a Letter of Agreement (LoA). This Letter of Agreement commits cooperation regarding financial assistance programs to strengthen the rule of law in Kosovo. 

The Letter of Agreement includes the division of labor in certain areas of rule of law. Specifically for USAID, this includes work with the courts, private enforcement agents, mediators, and commercial justice; and for the EU, this includes work on infrastructure, prosecution offices, notaries, and bankruptcy administrators. 

As Lisa Magno noted in her remarks, “It’s absolutely essential that USAID and the EU, as the two largest donors in Kosovo, not only coordinate our work in this critical area, but speak with a common voice and follow the same guiding principles for meaningful results. Through strategic engagement and joint planning, we can also multiply the impact of our  assistance resources.”

Mr. Brusa added that “We - USAID and EU, representing the biggest donors in the justice sector - are committed to step up our effort to harmonise assistance and coordinate better not only during implementation but also during planning of future assistance.”

The Letter of Agreement calls for the establishment of a steering committee to review joint EU-USAID activity results with the Government of Kosovo and other justice stakeholders; it also calls for the inclusion of joint work-planning sessions within EU-USAID rule-of-law tenders.

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On behalf of the American people, USAID promotes and demonstrates democratic values abroad, and advances a free, peaceful, and prosperous world. In support of America's foreign policy, the U.S. Agency for International Development leads the U.S. Government's international development and disaster assistance through partnerships and investments that save lives, reduce poverty, strengthen democratic governance, and help people emerge from humanitarian crises and progress beyond assistance.