The head of the American Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) William Burns entered the Kosovo Government building, where he will have a meeting with the Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, according to Radio Free Europe (RSE) journalists.
A day earlier, Burns met in Pristina with the President of Kosovo Vjosa Osmani and the head of the Kosovo Intelligence Agency (KIA) Petrita Ajeti.
None of them advertised meetings.
Kurti was in the United States this Sunday, where he attended the Democratic National Convention.
The CIA chief's visit to Kosovo followed his visits to Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia.
On August 20, Burns met in Sarajevo with the director of the Intelligence and Security Agency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Almira Džuva, and members of the BiH Presidency, Denis Bećirović, Željko Komšić and Željka Cvijanović, a Serbian member under sanctions.
The American government told RSE that during the meetings in Sarajevo, they "discussed issues of common interest, which include the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Bosnia and Herzegovina."
During the visit, according to the American official, Burns also discussed the secessionist rhetoric and actions of Milorad Dodik, the pro-Russian president of the Serbian entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Republika Srpska.
A day later, Dodik stated that "I have never opposed" the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina in accordance with the Dayton Agreement, while secession "has never been our policy."
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As for the visit to Belgrade, it is not known who Berns met with.
Burns' visit to Kosovo comes at a time when US Ambassador to Kosovo Jeffrey Hovenier said that his country is being challenged in several aspects by the Government of Kosovo, led by Albin Kurti.
The US and other European Union countries have criticized some decisions and actions recently taken by Kurti's government, which they consider "unilateral" and "uncoordinated".
Meanwhile, the US State Department has asked the Kurti government to return to "constructive and close engagement" with Washington, the European Union and NATO, while Washington is also demanding that Kosovo institutions not open the bridge over the Ibar River, citing security concerns.
Although his visit to Kosovo has not been confirmed, on August 22 at noon at Pristina's "Adem Jashari" International Airport, RSE journalists saw a US Army plane parked in the "VIP" section of the airport.
It is believed that Berns used this plane to travel to other countries in the region. Meanwhile, according to the Flightradar flight tracking site, this plane flew from Belgrade to Bulgaria, North Macedonia, and then Kosovo on August 22.
Burns is a former US ambassador to Russia. He is a central figure in the administration of US President Joe Biden, as he is also a member of the presidential cabinet of the White House.
Biden nominated him for the post of CIA director in January 2021.
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