Prishtina, 11 February, 2024
Dear citizens of the Republic,
Our welfare and that of our families is the driving force behind our actions, but above all the Government’s priority is to provide welfare and social assistance where needed, for all its citizens, regardless of their ethnicity.
I have addressed you many times and I have emphasized that the Government I lead is the Government of all of us and our Republic is the home of all the communities that live here.
The war, and then the wrong policies of the politicians who were at the head of the state, left the people uncared for, poor and exposed to criminal organizations and gangs, while they looked after their luxurious lives and those who cooperated with them.
Over the past three years, we have done our best to fight crime with smart steps, policies based on the establishment of law and the rule of law. We raised our country to a higher level of democracy, which also means respect for human and citizen rights, which was recognized by the prestigious organization Freedom House and later by Transparency International for the fight against corruption, as well as by World Justice Project as a result of respect and rule of law.
This only shows how much we can and should, together, as a multicultural and multi-ethnic state built on the postulates of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, democracy and equal opportunities for everyone and to everyone. As a people who have striven for freedom for centuries and as citizens of all who desire peace and prosperity, we must trust each other to move forward strongly and decisively and thus defeat crime, religious, racial and ethnic hatred, social division and fake news, necessary to achieve nationalist and chauvinistic goals and narrow political victories.
We are all aware of the campaign launched on false grounds, against independent institutions established by the Constitution, such as the Central Bank of Kosovo, for the sake of preserving the already consolidated ways of money laundering and terrorist financing by sending money ready in bags through the borders of Serbia and Kosovo.
On February 1 of this year, the Central Bank regulations for cash payments came into force. This regulation does not refer to the dinar, nor does it mention it as such. Therefore, the aim of the Central Bank is to formalize the payment and the procedures related to it, as opposed to trying to prove that its aim is to remove the dinar or any other currency in Kosovo. The Central Bank clearly indicates that the euro is the only means of payment in Kosovo and that in this regard, every transaction must be in the euro as the only official currency in Kosovo. The regulation of the Central Bank does not prohibit Serbia from financially assisting the citizens of the Serbian community in Kosovo. Any suggestion to the contrary is false propaganda aimed at creating ethnic tensions. The regulation of the Central Bank ensures the legality and transparency of money imported into Kosovo, based on the Constitution and monetary policy of the European Union.
So, Kosovo did not ban the dinar, just as it did not ban the dollar, nor the pound, nor the Swiss franc. The only difference is that from February 1, money cannot cross the border in bags, as cannot be done in any democratic state, but can come through bank accounts, withdrawn in euros. This policy protects citizens from the threats of organized crime, arms trafficking and money laundering. Until now, the way of introducing and transporting money across borders allowed criminal groups to receive illegally imported money, thereby strengthening their influence over the people, intimidating the masses and encouraging criminals from the Serbian head of state.
Crime must be defeated, money laundering and illicit enrichment must be stopped with the aim of facilitating the financing of terrorists and obstructing peace. The Central Bank of Kosovo has offered facilities for the conversion of dinars to euros to the People’s Bank of Serbia. The Central Bank of Kosovo has ensured the opening of bank accounts in euros for those who have not yet done so, free of charge. Just think how many opportunities opening a regular bank account will create for a small part of the population that has not yet done so: the flow of money through the account will enable the recording of legitimate payments and disbursements, which will be the eventual basis for obtaining a loan or starting a business, receiving help from Kosovo’s institutions, the economic independence of women, which inevitably leads to new opportunities for a better life.
Kosovo has created schemes of financial assistance and social assistance for families in need, pregnant women and mothers with children. This type of aid will never end and will only increase, in line with economic growth and budget planning. Every month, more than 33,000 members of the Serbian community receive pensions from the Republic of Kosovo, 2,205 families receive social assistance, 4,244 families receive child benefits, and 1,372 families receive benefits for pregnant women and mothers with children.
Everything through the bank account opened in euros. Through them, aid to the Serbian community, sent by the Belgrade government, received in euros and registered through the bank account for the sake of transparency and legality can be received. In this way, the amount of money sent from Belgrade will exactly match the money you will receive in Kosovo. We will do everything in our power through information campaigns and enabling relief, with the aim of a smooth transition. The most important thing is to understand and believe that the establishment of the rule of law is inevitable, sending money through bank transactions is uncompromising and the enjoyment of the rights acquired so far freely, by the state authorities in Kosovo, is a a necessary part of guaranteeing the freedom of all citizens to receive any financial assistance from any party or authority that comes through legal channels.
Thank you for your attention and I wish you all the best.
Video with Albanian subtitles:
https://we.tl/t-C1Qn0Oy5nd
Last modified: February 12, 2024