Thewesternbalkans
- Political relations
Germany was one of the first countries to officially recognise and establish diplomatic relations with the Republic of Kosovo after the country declared its independence in 2008.
Germany is actively supporting the country in its efforts to integrate into Euro-Atlantic structures. The German soldiers (KFOR), police officers, judges, public prosecutors and civilian experts (UN‑led mission UNMIK, EU rule of law mission EULEX and OSCE‑led mission OmiK) deployed in the country as part of international missions have helped to further strengthen the good relations between the two countries.
Furthermore, the Government and people of Kosovo have not forgotten that Germany took in hundreds of thousands of refugees from Kosovo before and during the 1998/99 conflict, or that from 1999 onwards it helped with reconstruction efforts, initially through emergency relief measures and shortly afterwards by commencing development cooperation.
There is a Kosovar diaspora in Germany with a total of more than 350,000 Kosovars who make up the world’s largest Kosovar diaspora.
Germany, one of the main advocates of Kosovo’s independence, has recently found itself in the midst of an economic, political, and geopolitical crisis. This includes strikes by farmers and workers in various sectors, rising energy prices, the weakening of the ruling “traffic light coalition”, and a decline in the popularity of Chancellor Olaf Scholz, along with the strengthening of the right-wing Alternative for Germany. These circumstances have sparked hope among some and fear among others that Berlin might turn away from Kosovo to address its domestic issues. Analysts argue that despite internal upheavals, Germany’s foreign policy is unlikely to change.
Whether the German Government will heed its citizens’ calls and whether this could divert its attention from Kosovo, with which Germany is “closely connected”, as stated on the website of the German Embassy in Pristina, remains to be seen.
- Economic relations
Germany is one of Kosovo’s principal trading partners and investors and also one of the largest bilateral donors in the field of development cooperation. Since 1999, Germany has provided more than 660 million euro for technical and financial cooperation projects.
Following the Federal Statistic Office, German exports to Kosovo increased to 29.842 million euros in January from 28.343 million euros in December of 2023. The expectations are that for 2024 the exports to Kosovo will be around 390 million euros.
Imports from Kosovo in Germany decreased to 5.147 million euros in January from 6.633 million euros in December of 2023. The estimated imports from Kosovo for 2024 are about 65 million euros.
German Development Cooperation and Kosovo
Development cooperation with Kosovo started immediately after the NATO intervention against Belgrade in 1999. On that time German assistance was focused on humanitarian aid, water and electricity supply.
For some years to now assistance has been focused on sustainable development. This strategy helps Kosovo’s people leaving better and be closer to the European Union and NATO.
The documents of the GDC say that economic cooperation between Germany and Kosovo is focused on following core area:
- Training and sustainable development of new jobs including technical and vocational education, private and finance sectors developments. In 2015 a center for jobs, migration and reintegration has been set up in Pristina serving to the people that want to find a job in Kosovo or in Germany.
- Climate and energy just transition, including energy efficiency and sustainable urban development.
The German Ministry of economy also support activities in the field of good governance, especially in the field of legal system and put in place the recommendations of the European commission for Kosovo’s integration to the EU.
- Culture
There has been a Goethe-Zentrum in Pristina since 2018. In addition, the German Embassy in Pristina handles a substantial portion of the cultural work, including scholarship and further-education programmes, concerts and exhibitions. Along with English, German is the most widely spoken foreign language. Indeed, the German language and German culture are popular in Kosovo, as demonstrated by the annual Days of the German Language, for example. A cultural agreement entered into force in 2013, placing cultural exchange on an official footing under international law.
- Last developments
Following the conclusion of negotiations between Kosovo and Germany, the German Government pledged additional support of 90 million euros to the Republic of Kosovo for the period 2024/2025, of which 20 million euros are in the form of grants. This new agreement marks a significant increase in the value of support compared to the previous period 2022/2023, which was valued at 37 million euros, thus demonstrating a deepening of cooperation between the two countries.
These funds will be used to support Kosovo’s integration into the European Union and will focus, among other things, on investments in the energy sector, specifically the decarbonization process, ensuring sustainable economic development, providing training and employment, as well as supporting municipalities, especially in waste management and environmental conservation.
As a result of the German-Kosovo cooperation several important projects have been implemented, such as the project for the construction of a solar water heater and the rehabilitation of wastewater in Pristina, waste management throughout Kosovo, as well as the establishment of the Innovation and Training Park (ITP) in Prizren.
According to German Ambassador to Pristine Jörn Rohde, the next projects to be implemented through the pledged funds today will strengthen women’s economic independence and promote Kosovo’s green and innovative economic development.
Comments: A few days ago, “surprisingly”, but quite categorically, Germany stopped the integration of Kosovo in the Council of Europe, by insisting that Pristina mast fulfill the commitments made towards Serbia to create an Association of Municipalities with a Serbian population in Kosovo. Was it surprise?
The years pass and the geopolitical reality related to the disintegration of former Yugoslavia increasingly gives way to new realities, risks and priorities. Furthermore, Kosovo is far from being as cooperative as was expected based on the massive political, economic and military assistance given to this young country.
Not so long ago, during a visit to Serbia at the end of her mandate, former Chancellor Angela Merkel spoke of the “close connection” between Germany and Serbia, which seems to have significantly weakened since her departure. This could serve as a warning for Kosovo that the “close connection” in the German version may be just a dialectic.
