Pristina, 2 February 2016
Prime Minister of Republic of Kosovo, Isa Mustafa, opened the third International conference “Germia Hill”, organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kosovo, together with the world renowned institute Aspen Institute, which conducts works from 2 to 3 February 2016.
By welcoming many attendees in Kosovo in this traditional conference of Kosovar diplomacy, Prime Minister Mustafa said that “Germia Hill” is intended to give substantial contribution to the topics that concern and employ diplomacy and European chancelleries.
Being related to the fact that this year more than ever the focus of international public were security issues, Prime Minister Isa Mustafa said that Kosovo is a stable country, a land of peace, a place of communication and close collaboration between our communities, but also with its neighbors.
“Kosovo has never been more interconnected with European family than it is now. We signed our first contractual agreement the European Union and with this Kosovo have become a factor of development, stability factor, factor in dialogue with neighbors, contributor to peace and security in the Western Balkans, “said Prime Minister Isa Mustafa.
Full speech by Prime Minister Isa Mustafa at the opening of the conference:
Dear participants,
Honorable deputy prime ministers,
Honorable Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Thaci, as the organizer of this gathering,
Dear ambassadors present here,
Experts, journalists from over 30 countries, who have come these days in Kosovo in this conference.
Allow me to wish you a warm welcome in Republic of Kosovo in the traditional conference in our diplomacy called “Germia Hill”.
Otherwise, Germia is a beautiful part of Pristina, is a breath of this city, a city at the foot park, beloved and with much value for the citizens of Pristina and Kosovo.
It is the name that distinguishes this conference from other conferences that are held here and in other European capitals.
“Germia Hill” does not intend to differ only by name, but it is a goal of Kosovo to give substantial contribution to topics that concern and involve diplomacy and European chancelleries.
This year we have seen more than ever that the focus of international public were security issues.
Kosovo is a stable country, a land of peace, a place of communication and close collaboration between our communities, but also with its neighbours.
Kosovo has never been more interconnected with European family than it is now. We signed our first contractual agreement the European Union and with this Kosovo have become a factor of development, stability factor, a factor in dialogue with neighbours, contributor to peace and security in the Western Balkans.
There are three areas in which we are engaged more specifically and also I notice that_ in the agenda these three areas are also covered by the conference panels. Initially the issue of migration is the topic that affects at the root political debate and European media.
European public is concerned with the wave of refugees. From meetings and conversations that I have with my counterparts in Europe I see that this phenomenon is likely to directly hit traditional European values and endanger traditional hospitality policies of Europe.
But every misconception and prejudice that Kosovo be identified by the floods of immigrants from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan is excessive and unsustainable.
We have worked hard that our number of asylum seekers falls dramatically. The leaders of the European Union have estimated that our work is done with the greatest responsibility and is highly appreciated, because we have succeeded from 13 thousand asylum seekers from Kosovo who sought asylum through Hungary in February last year, the number in December last year was 5 people.
So, from 13 thousand to only 5 individuals, is the result that I can say is deep which we have reached breaking trafficking networks, informing our citizens about the impossibility for Kosovars to gain asylum in EU countries, working with member states to make the repatriation of those who had migrated.
And so last year we managed to repatriate about 20 thousand Kosovars.
What concerns us is that only our citizens are currently isolated from the possibility of free movement within the European Union because of the visa regime.
And we worked hard to meet the criteria and we believe that the European Union will soon take a decision to recommend visa liberalization for our country, so that our citizens to travel without visas to the Schengen area.
The second aspect where the Republic of Kosovo is engaged in a significant way is fighting terrorism and radicalism. Secretary of State, John Kerry, during his recent visit to Kosovo, said that we are the leaders in the region in undertaking many measures to prevent violent extremism, radicalism and terrorism. According to our services, the number of Kosovars in the conflicts in Syria and Iraq has fallen from 300 as will be circulated there and around in recent years, in less than 70 people, which can be found there now.
Many ISIS advocates were arrested recruitment networks are broken, many NGOs have been closed which have misused Kosovo for radical goals, and legal measures were taken against the funds that were allegedly used for these activities. The citizens of Kosovo do not for a moment forget the support and solidarity of the international community when they were subject to violence, crime, terror and depopulation. We highly appreciate the support of the United States, European Union and all democratic and peace-loving countries.
Surveys conducted show that 98 per cent of Kosovars want Kosovo membership in NATO. We have applied for membership in EUROPOL. Kosovars have embraced European and Euro-Atlantic values. We are a secular state, and we have no intention of withdrawing from the daily war against those who do not respect fundamental human values.
Kosovo is a European front, which takes place here in Pristina, and does not protect only Pristina. From here it also protects Paris, Berlin and London also because we experience, feel, cultivate and protect the Euro-Atlantic values.
Fortunately, the security situation has improved significantly and thanks to dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina in Brussels, according to estimates of security bodies, last year we had only 5 interethnic incidents throughout the year in the north of Kosovo.
The reducing of these ethnic incidents is the will of the Albanians, Serbs, but also of other communities, and other representatives.
The third aspect which covered in this conference is conflicts in Ukraine and Syria, and the implications that Russia has on developments in these areas.
In view of the distance we are far from these conflicts, but also have to say that the world is not what it was before, and that any development faraway has implications into the Balkans.
Historically we have seen many challenges that we have in Kosovo, but also to our neighbors, may have some correlation with global destabilizing tentaives. But we will resist these tentatives, working for Kosovo to be a dialogue platform and solutions.
This conference is contribution of ours, which, through public diplomacy to offer Kosovo as part of the solution. This year we expect the transformation of the Kosovo Security Force in the Armed Forces, and to open us the opportunities for participating in humanitarian and peacekeeping missions.
As Prime Minister of the country, I invited the Secretary General of NATO, Mr. Stoltenberg, to build even closer modalities of cooperation between Kosovo and NATO.
Furthermore, to the future, our goal remains the Partnership for Peace and NATO membership. In the end, I would like to emphasize that our challenges are common challenges, therefore as such they can be afforded with a coordination and joint work.
I thank you once again for your participation. I congratulate the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kosovo and the prestigious Aspen Berlin Institute for this conference, and use the opportunity to declare the conference open.
Thank you very much.
Last modified: July 30, 2022