Prishtina, 19 June, 2023
The Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, was today part of the round table organized by the Office for Community Affairs of the Prime Minister’s Office, in which the challenges and opportunities for the Ashkali community were discussed.
In his speech, Prime Minister Kurti first emphasized that in order to progress as a society, it is necessary that the continuous progress belongs to all citizens without distinction. Therefore, the Government is also committed and works to ensure that all citizens of Kosovo are treated without discrimination.
Prime Minister Kurti mentioned the important achievements in this direction, such as the approval of the Strategy for the Advancement of the Rights of the Ashkali and Roma Communities, 2022-2026, the National Platform for Reporting Cases of Discrimination against the Ashkali, Roma and Egyptian Communities. Whereas, as the Prime Minister said, in the last two years, through implemented measures and allocated grants, all social categories and communities have been supported.
He added that scholarships have been allocated for students from the Ashkai, Roma and Egyptian communities, but also the learning centers for the children of these communities, that 104 Ashkali, Roma and Egyptians have benefited from training at the Professional Training Center, and through the Superpuna platform, the government it is subsidizing young people for new jobs for them.
In addition, the Office for Community Affairs in the Prime Minister’s Office has supported community organizations and media. A total of 96 grants have been allocated to organizations for projects that benefit non-majority communities, while the open call for grants with a total value of 300,000 euros for non-governmental organizations and 100,000 euros for the media continues.
At the same time, the Ministry for Communities and Return has supported 123 projects for small businesses and startups for non-majority communities. Of them, 10 for the Ashkali community. This ministry has also provided funds for 19 houses that will be built for needy families, including those from the Ashkali community. 373 food and hygiene packages were also distributed, of which 94 were for the Ashkali community, or approximately 1/4.
“We are engaging together, institutions, organizations and citizens, to push forward the efforts for a comprehensive future that leaves no one behind, with equal rights and opportunities, all without distinction”, said the Prime Minister, also emphasizing that we need even more results, because in the end the achievements are intended to be even greater in the future. Every success we have is a function of a greater success that awaits us in the future.
Meanwhile, the MP from among the communities in the Assembly of Kosovo, Bekim Arifi, after thanking for the organization of this round table, said that Prime Minister Kurti, with his presence in every event and organization, is proving that the Ashkali community is important for Kosovo.
Also present at this table were the Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo for Minority Affairs and Human Rights, Emilija Rexhepi, the advisor to the Prime Minister for Community Affairs, Elizabeth Gowing, as well as numerous representatives from non-majority communities.
Prime Minister Kurti’s complete speech:
Thank you very much Artan,
Honorable Mr. Bekim Arifi, Deputy Speaker of the Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo,
Dear Ms. Emilija Rexhepi, Deputy Prime Minister of the Government of the Republic of Kosovo for Minority and Human Rights Affairs,
Dear Elizabeth Gowing,
Once again, dear Artan Asllani, thank you very much for this organization,
Dear participants,
Ladies and gentleman,
It is a pleasure to be together at this table and talk about the opportunities of the Ashkali community, about the challenges we have and about our cooperation and results in the future.
In order to progress as a society, it is necessary that the continuous progress belongs to all citizens without distinction. Therefore, our Government is also committed and works to ensure that all citizens of Kosovo are treated without discrimination.
To harmonize our strategic actions in this direction, we already have some important achievements, such as the approval of the Strategy for the Advancement of the Rights of the Ashkali and Roma Communities, 2022-2026.
In order to prevent and fight discrimination, we have also launched the National Platform for reporting cases of discrimination against the Ashkali, Roma and Egyptian communities, and in the last two years, through implemented measures and allocated grants, our Government has supported all categories social and communities.
With the Package for Economic Revival and the Package for Dealing with Inflation, we have supported about 800,000 citizens, practically every family in our country, in the last year.
The government is working to create equal opportunities with a focus on education and employment. Education is a right guaranteed by the Constitution, as well as the best response to the problems of street begging, forced labor and early marriage. Therefore, we have made higher education free of charge for all students, to encourage them not to stop at gymnasium or high school, but to continue their university studies as well.
To support students from the Ashkali, Roma and Egyptian communities, we have allocated scholarships worth 300,000 euros. With scholarships, we are also supporting students from the Ashkali community in the Faculty of Education, so that in the future we will have as many good teachers as possible from your community.
We allocated 200,000 euros for learning centers for Ashkali, Roma and Egyptian children.
With the law on public officials, we have created, among other things, all the appropriate mechanisms for the fair representation of communities in all categories.
We have also established the inter-institutional team for encouraging and promoting employment for the Ashkali, Roma and Egyptian communities. And in the past year, 104 Ashkali, Roma and Egyptians have benefited from training at the Professional Training Center. This number has tripled from the previous year.
With the guaranteed employment scheme for young people, and through the Superpuna platform, the Government is subsidizing young people for new jobs for them. On the “Kosova Generation Unlimited” platform for paid internships, we aim for 15 percent of the provided internships to be for members of non-majority communities. Therefore, I encourage all Ashkali young women and men to apply and take advantage of these opportunities for professional development and employment.
In addition, the Office for Community Affairs in the Prime Minister’s Office has supported community organizations and media. We have allocated 96 grants to organizations for projects that benefit non-majority communities. From this office we have an open call for grants, 300 thousand euros for non-governmental organizations and 100 thousand euros for the media. Therefore, I use this opportunity to call for as many applications as possible. 300 thousand euros for non-governmental organizations and 100 thousand euros for the media.
Also, the Ministry for Communities and Return has supported 123 projects for small businesses and startups for non-majority communities. Of them, 10 were for the Ashkali community. This ministry has also provided funds for 19 houses that will be built for needy families, including those from the Ashkali community. 373 food and hygiene packages were also distributed, of which 94 were for the Ashkali community, or approximately 1/4.
Now the ministry has opened a call for applications for grants, worth 3 million euros for communities. As for the families who do not have a house or need renovations, we have allocated another 3 million euros, just for the communities.
Because we know we have families without shelter, we also have families with shelter that is not adequate. The houses are stable, but they are not so habitable. So, we need not only reconstructions but also renovations, for dignified living and housing conditions.
Dear guests, during these last months I had several special meetings with the Ashkali community. At the end of last year, in the neighborhood of communities in the village of Gjurkoc in Shtime, we inaugurated the children’s toy corner and the park there. Ashkali children, Albanians, and other communities are also using it. So, it does not mean that public services, the public sphere in general, should be divided according to ethnic groups, it should be at the service of everyone, for the use and use of everyone.
A few months ago, I had a meeting with the students who received scholarships from the Government for the community, and on February 15, together we celebrated Ashkali Community Day, supported by funds from the Office of Community Affairs in the Prime Minister.
Last modified: June 19, 2023