Away from his homeland and relatives, serving as a representative of the most powerful country in the world in a small country such as Kosovo, the Ambassador of the United States of America, Philip S. Kosnett, delivers messages of hope and love for people, during these holidays which all around the world are being celebrated different from what is historically known as traditional.

In an exclusive interview for KosovaPress, Ambassador Kosnett talks about his evocations in Kosovo during this year of the Pandemic, the challenges, emotions, the joys and sorrows, missing work and normal life, etcetera. KosovaPress: As we are on the verge of celebrating the holidays, I take this opportunity to wish you a very Merry Christmas! This Christmas is different from the previous ones in your history as US Ambassador to Kosovo, and that due to the pandemic (Covid-19). What changes will there be in your Christmas celebration this year? Ambassador Kosnett: First, let me thank you and offer my own wishes for a Merry Christmas to those who celebrate the holiday, and wish everyone a safe and peaceful New Year.  This year my family, like many families around the world, will be unable to gather together in person due to the pandemic and travel restrictions.  We regret this but as a diplomatic family we are used to being physically separated from our loved ones at times.  So my wife Alison and I will get together with other family members through the magic of video conferencing.   Separation now is a price worth paying to help get the virus under control. KosovaPress: How are you doing during this pandemic period?   Ambassador Kosnett: I’m okay, thanks.  I feel thankful for good health, close family, good friends and trusted colleagues, and for the opportunity to serve.  Americans always feel welcome and at home in Kosovo.  Whenever I start to feel constrained I remind myself that I’m in a better position than most of the billions of people on the planet.  We all need to think less about how the pandemic is affecting us and more about how we can work collectively to overcome it.  Frankly, I get most frustrated when I see people ignoring the simple steps they can take to protect themselves and their families, like wearing masks and washing hands, avoiding large gatherings and maintaining social distancing.  Some countermeasures are expensive.  Masks and soap are not.   KosovaPress: Do you miss the daily dynamics that come with working in the office? Ambassador Kosnett: Sure. I split my time between working from home and spending time at our Embassy.  I miss the energy of being surrounded by colleagues – American and Kosovo citizens – at the Embassy, and regret that most of my external meetings are via videoconference.  It’s not the same as personal contact.  I miss getting out of Pristina, visiting with and learning from people throughout the country.   Diplomacy is, at heart, about personal relationships and personal communication. KosovaPress: Almost the entire year we were out of the office and away from our loved ones. What do you miss the most? Ambassador Kosnett: As I mentioned before, it’s the human contact, but in the form of the little things, being able to share a meal with family and friends, traveling and sharing new experiences, going to church in Pristina.   But if we all continue to work together to defeat COVID, we will be able to enjoy these simple acts of fellowship again. KosovaPress: What was the most challenging moment this year?  Ambassador Kosnett: Wow.  I can’t think of a single moment.  It has been a recurring series of challenging moments, actually.  Perhaps it was the realization that this pandemic was going to strike harder and last longer than other epidemic threats the world has faced in recent memory.  Hope would rise and fall.  We wondered when it would ever end.  Then news came that scientists had developed vaccines in record time – but it will still be months or longer before everyone is immunized and we can truly say the pandemic is under control.  It is far from over and we can’t relax our guard.  KosovaPress: Was there a moment of exasperation? Ambassador Kosnett: Yes, I get exasperated when I see people – in the United States as well as Kosovo – denying scientific reality, denying medical advice and endangering themselves as well as their families and friends by refusing to take measures against the virus.  Americans and Kosovars have a lot in common, including the fact that we are tough and resilient.  Many of us don’t want to look like they are afraid of the virus.  We shouldn’t be afraid, but we should fight it with the tools at our disposal.  Don’t just try to be tough – be smart. KosovaPress: Was there a moment you were sad and said to yourself “I wish to abort this mission and go back home”?    Ambassador Kosnett: Never.  It is my honor to serve as the U.S. Ambassador to Kosovo, and to lead a team of dedicated professionals from both countries.  I believe the things the U.S. wants for Kosovo – peace with neighboring countries and among communities, a trustworthy justice system, prosperity and opportunity – are the things the people of Kosovo want and deserve.   Above all, we want Kosovo to take its place in the world as an independent, self-sufficient democracy.  Governments don’t always agree on the issues of the day, but the fundamentals of the relationship are solid. KosovaPress: Is there anything positive you’ve learned during this period of the pandemic? Ambassador Kosnett: Humans are tough and smart, creative and resilient.  We take for granted, sometimes, the extraordinary goals we can achieve when we stop fighting and work together.  We put humans on the Moon, and soon Mars.  How amazing is it that we all carry with us a smartphone – a microcomputer, actually – through which we can access the sum total of human knowledge?   We’ve defeated smallpox, defeated polio – and soon we will defeat COVID.  But only if we stay disciplined and look out for one another. KosovaPress: Undoubtedly, the Pandemic must have restricted the realization of various projects, and the objectives you’ve planned for this year, on a personal as well as professional level as an Ambassador. Has the Pandemic harmed you in this regard? Ambassador Kosnett: We lost ground this year, sure.  For example, when the pandemic was just beginning last February, I was in New York talking to diaspora leaders about increasing diaspora involvement in Kosovo – not only through investment, but through sharing expertise in numerous fields.  There was a lot of interest.  The pandemic cost us a year in realizing some projects.  I still want to pursue this initiative.  We have a saying that “Man plans, and God laughs.”  You have to plan for the future but you have to stay flexible. KosovaPress: What has been the moment you were most impressed during this year?   Ambassador Kosnett: Again, there are so many moments.  I have been impressed by the bravery and dedication of the health care workers and others who have risked so much to keep us safe.  The teachers who have found ways – with the help of business as well as government – to keep educating the children.  The scientists in the U.S. and elsewhere who have developed vaccines in record time.  2020 has been a year of tragedy.  Let’s make 2021 the year of promise.