Pristina, February 16, 2023
The Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, participated in the round table marking the 15th anniversary of the Independence of the Republic of Kosovo, with the theme “Minorities in independent Kosovo”, organized by the Deputy Prime Minister for Minority Affairs and Human Rights, Mrs. Emilija Redžepi.
In his speech, Prime Minister Kurti said that today’s meeting symbolically represents what the Republic of Kosovo is actually living, that is, the feeling of togetherness and participation for everyone.
“Kosovo is our common state where we should all feel completely equal and not discriminated against on any basis”, he said.
The Prime Minister added that in the last two years, our government has supported all communities, through implemented measures and allocated grants.
He expressed gratitude to everyone for their tireless commitment, unsparing contribution and valuable role in institutions and society, and congratulated them on the 15th anniversary of the independence of the Republic of Kosovo with the call that we all together strengthen the feeling of love, and increase the commitment and work in the service of the country.
Deputy Prime Minister Redžepi also joined the congratulations on the 15th anniversary of Independence, saying that “today, all the non-majority communities wish all the citizens of our country the Independence Day of the Republic of Kosovo, together with the message of peace, tolerance, harmony and common life”.
In addition to the three government cabinet ministers who come from the ranks of non-majority communities, the Minister of Local Government Administration, Elbert Krasniqi, the Minister for Communities and Returns, Nenad Rashiq and the Minister for Regional Development, Fikrim Damka, also participating in this round-table were the ambassador of Montenegro in Kosovo, Bernard Qobaj and the state deputy in Bosnia and Herzegovina Mr. Shemsedin Mehmetovic, as well as representatives of diplomatic missions in Kosovo.
Prime Minister Kurti’s full speech:
Honorable Deputy Prime Minister of the Government of the Republic of Kosovo for minority affairs and human rights, Mrs. Emilija Redžepi,
Honorable Ministers of the Government, Mr. Elbert Krasniqi, Minister of Local Government Administration, Mr. Nenad Rashiq, Minister for Communities and Return and Mr. Fikrim Damka, Minister for Regional Development,
Honorable Deputy Minister Lazar Radulovic in the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Development
Honorable diplomatic representatives of friendly countries in the Republic of Kosovo
Your Excellency, the ambassador of Montenegro, Mr. Bernard Qobaj
Ladies and gentleman,
Honorable state deputy in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Mr. Shemsedin Mehmetović, who is also one of the founders of the ESDA Democratic Action party,
First of all, let me warmly greet you all and welcome you. Today’s meeting symbolically represents what the Republic of Kosovo is actually living: the feeling of togetherness and participation for everyone.
Kosovo is our common state where we should all feel completely equal and not discriminated on any basis.
Kosovo is our common state, so in which we must have both well-being and security, and this is the priority of our government as a guarantor of support for equal rights for all citizens of the country, with a focus on the rule of law and justice, the creation of new jobs, improving the state of education and raising it to a higher level.
In the last two years, our government has supported all communities, through implemented measures and distributed grants. Within a year, with the Economic Recovery Package and the Package for Dealing with Inflation, we have directly supported about 800 thousand citizens of the Republic, or practically every family in our country.
We have launched the National Platform for Reporting Cases of Discrimination against the Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian Community. We have also approved the Strategy for the Advancement of the Rights of the Roma and Ashkali Community 2022-2026.
Meanwhile, the Office of the Prime Minister through the Office for Community Affairs has supported organizations and media for various cultural activities.
We have supported 123 projects for small businesses and start-ups for non-majority communities, among them 48 for the Serbian community, 27 for the Bosnian community, 21 for the Egyptian community, 10 for the Ashkali community, 5 for the Goran community and 4 for the Roma community.
We have awarded 96 grants to organizations for projects that benefit non-majority communities.
We have made higher education free of charge for all students, without distinction. So both the bachelor’s and master’s level are free, only for the doctorate you have to pay, but even for that much less than elsewhere.
To support education, we have allocated 300,000 euros for scholarships for students from the Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian communities. We have also allocated 300,000 euros for learning centers for Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian children.
The teaching/subject programs have been translated into Turkish and Bosnian, while they are also in the process of being translated into Serbian and English. Textbooks have been translated from Albanian into Turkish and Bosnian. And we have given 100 young people, with priority to those from non-majority communities, the opportunity for a 6-month paid internship in government institutions.
From the beginning, we have proven our commitment to non-majority communities more than any previous government. We cultivate diversity as an asset, seek solidarity with everyone and equality that does not allow anyone to be discriminated against. Our government is committed to ensuring that all citizens of Kosovo are treated without discrimination. This implies that there should be no favoritism because privileges for someone then become discrimination for someone else. So equality does not only protect us from discrimination, but also from privilege and favoritism, because a significant part of discrimination does not start as discrimination, but starts as favoritism for someone, as privilege for someone, and only then becomes discrimination for others.
For this purpose, we have increased the dialogue with you as citizens and equal participants of our country.
This is proven in action through political representation within the executive: the post of Deputy Prime Minister, ministerial posts, members of my cabinet, and the number of employees in the administration, among others, are trends that we expect to continue with even greater intensity. Meanwhile, with the new Law on Public Officials, we have created mechanisms for the fair representation of communities in every category, in state positions.
Our vision is the European way, the realization and revival of the highest European values in our daily reality.
Therefore, it is important that all together, Albanians, Serbs, Bosniaks, Turks, Roma, Egyptians, Ashkali, Gorani and other communities living in Kosovo, i.e. Croats and Montenegrins, build a European future and a European Kosovo. Kosovo is the only homeland that we have and which with joint forces we want to connect with the European road, to make it a country that meets the conditions to become part of the European Union. Because the European path for this Government simply has no alternative. We both need it and love it.
With this commitment, we testify that the state of Kosovo and our Government are also your truth, the homeland and the government of all without exception.
I express my gratitude to each and every one of you for your tireless commitment, for your generous contribution and for your invaluable role in institutions and society.
In the end, allow me to wish you the 15th anniversary of the independence of the Republic of Kosovo, wishing that we all together strengthen the feeling of love, and increase commitment and work, wishing our country eternal longevity.
Thank you.
Last modified: February 22, 2023