“We felt welcome from day one” – the story of the Dutch ambassador after 1 year of service in Kosovo
Express newspaper
22/08/2025 15:27
Being in Kosovo is very special to me, as my brother served in Kosovo during the 1999 war, as part of NATO troops. He arrived in Kosovo in the summer of 1999 and stayed in Xërxe for 6 months. I never understood what he did in those years – now 26 years ago – until he came to visit me in March of this year. Together we explored the region around Rahovec and Xërxe, a region that he still knew very well. It was a very useful and valuable visit for him and for me; it deepened my relationship with Kosovo and its people, and for my brother it was very good to see how Kosovo has developed since then.
Write: Karin Above (Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Kosovo)
How time flies: it has already been 1 year since my arrival in Kosovo. Before moving to Kosovo, I was an ambassador to Uganda and Sudan, together for a total of 8 years on the African continent. Although we love Africa, we wanted to move to a mission closer to home, the Netherlands. We felt welcome in Kosovo from day one.
Marking my first year in Kosovo, I thought I would share a personal story about myself and my work. I am a mother of two children who are grown and live and work in the Netherlands. The benefit of living closer to the Netherlands is that family and friends can also come and visit us more often; our children, my brother, my brother-in-law’s family, including a 93-year-old, and some old friends all came to Kosovo last year. It is a pleasure to be able to show them and share with them the beauty of our new second home and the hospitality of the people. I am educated in cultural anthropology and therefore I am very interested in cultures, languages, and peoples. Kosovo, as I now know, offers a lot to explore.
As an ambassador, I spend many hours in closed-door meetings, discussing the way forward, assessing a given situation. All of these are important to be able to keep headquarters informed and make well-balanced decisions or advise a minister. But these activities are not so photogenic. The rest of my work is more open, meeting partners and stakeholders, in their offices, or the projects we are supporting in their home cities, factories, companies or organizations. Interacting directly, listening to people, learning about a specific context by being there, understanding a situation better and learning about the needs and challenges or opportunities, makes my work even more meaningful and can lead to better results of our interventions and a more sustainable impact. Yes, this is a more photogenic part, it is what we as an Embassy are sharing on our social media profiles as much as possible. To let the public know why we as the Netherlands are here in Kosovo and what we are focusing on. I really enjoy those visits, traveling around, visiting villages, small towns and interacting with the people of Kosovo. I like the diversity of my work; no single day is the same.
Being in Kosovo is very special to me, as my brother served in Kosovo during the 1999 war, as part of NATO troops. He arrived in Kosovo in the summer of 1999 and stayed in Xërxe for 6 months. I never understood what he did in those years – now 26 years ago – until he came to visit me in March of this year. Together we explored the region around Rahovec and Xërxe, a region that he still knew very well. It was a very useful and valuable visit for him and for me; it deepened my relationship with Kosovo and its people, and for my brother it was very good to see how Kosovo has developed since then.
We as an Embassy are a small but very active team. You can follow us on social media channels such as Linkedin, Facebook and Instagram. I really appreciate the dynamic and lively working atmosphere: we work hard to achieve the goals of our Embassy, but we also celebrate our work together. Our team outings, social gatherings, yoga lessons and competitive table football matches are all part of this! We focus on topics in the areas of Rule of Law, Security and Stability, Human Rights (including the rights of non-majorities and women), economic diplomacy, Migration and Culture. We support several programs with a financial contribution, such as through our MATRA funds. Furthermore, we participate in and organize events that aim to bring people and ideas together or share information. Being a female ambassador, I have invested some extra time and energy in a topic that is very important to me, namely women’s empowerment. As in previous posts, I have a keen interest in supporting women entrepreneurs, women’s leadership, and providing space for young women.
The bilateral relations between our two countries are strong, we engage with each other in a constructive way. In the years to come, I look forward to experiencing the beauty and richness of Kosovo, not only through its landscapes and culture, but also through the warmth of its people. At the same time, I am excited and grateful for the opportunity I have been given as a representative of my country in Kosovo, to contribute to the ongoing efforts to strengthen institutions and build a brighter future for the youth and the country itself.