The Executive Director of the Kosovo Law Institute (KLI), Ehat Miftaraj, commented on the expansion of US sanctions in the Western Balkans on the "Tempus" show on KTV.
"We are talking about 6 countries in the Western Balkans, where we can say that they do not respect the rule of law, they do not respect good governance. If we look at the measures they took in Macedonia, in December, if I am not mistaken, judges and prosecutors in this country were sanctioned," said Miftaraj.
He emphasized that the US is compensating for the inaction of institutions in these countries through executive orders.
"One thing we know is that the US invests millions of euros per year in these six countries in each country. In Kosovo alone, if I'm not mistaken, it invests over 50 million euros per year for the rule of law," he added.
Miftaraj noted that the failure of states to fight corruption and the lack of response to negative phenomena requires strong intervention from the US.
"For him, so to speak, to repair the damage that is being done on the ground," he said.
According to him, Bosnia and Serbia are the countries most included in the sanctions lists, as these countries have not shown a culture of fighting corruption and have a culture of impunity.
"Moreover, there is a culture of impunity so deep and ingrained that it means there is no hope that anything can change within these countries," Miftaraj added.
In Kosovo, according to him, the blacklist mainly includes companies and individuals from the Serbian community.
"I believe it is a measure that helps these countries turn their attention to how corruption should be fought, what the measures should be," he said.
He appealed for the promotion of values that avoid situations where orders from previous years are changed.
"...and Kosovo, instead of being an exception to the Balkan countries, is unfortunately part of this cake that Serbia received from the Biden administration at the end of its mandate," Miftaraj concluded./Oath for Justice