Prishtina, 22 April 2026
The Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, attended the Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning event marking the establishment of the Nature Protection Guard and the celebration of Earth Day.
Full speech of Prime Minister Kurti:
Honourable colleagues from the Government of the Republic, Ms. Fitore Pacolli, Minister of Environment and Spatial Planning, Mr. Xhelal Sveçla, Minister of Internal Affairs,
Honourable Members of the Assembly of the Republic,
Honourable environmental protection organizations and activists, photographers, fishermen, mountaineers, environmentalists, etc.,
Dear children,
Honourable attendees,
Ladies and gentlemen,
A state does not remain neutral when nature and the environment are being damaged. This is the principle by which we are committed to governing as a Government and which we wish to promote today, on World Earth Day.
Alongside it comes the principle that natural resources do not belong to anyone individually, but belong to everyone together, and above all, that development cannot come by destroying the very foundation upon which life is built.
The Nature Protection Guard is an expression of a profound shift in how we understand the state. A state that is not a spectator, but an actor. A state that does not react late, but prevents in time. In other words, policies, actions, and preventive measures rather than waiting for reactions to damage that has already occurred. A state that does not tolerate degradation, but stops and prevents it.
For many years, nature in our country has been treated as a space without ownership. Where the state was absent, abuse entered. Where the law was absent, narrow interests dominated.
We are fundamentally changing this logic. In the previous mandate, we laid the foundations for change, while at the beginning of this new mandate there is an increased momentum for good work.
In the previous mandate, over 10 million euros were allocated for the regulation and cleaning of riverbeds.
Investments were made in the construction of riverbeds: Lumbardhi of Deçan, the Shtimjana River, and the Llap River.
Cleaning works were carried out on the riverbeds of: Nerodime; Toplluha, Velezha – Prizren; Sitnica, Gurishta – Vushtrri; Zhegër, Livoq and Përlepnicë – Gjilan; Verbica, Qubrel, Runik – Drenas, Skenderaj; Janjevë, Godanc, Sitnica – Lipjan; then rivers in Kamenica, Viti, Artanë; and the Iber River in Leposaviq.
As we have pledged, we will close all illegal landfills and establish a new, modern, and safe waste management system. There will be regular monitoring and inspections, as well as strict penalties for polluters. We will continue with the State Action for Nature Protection to stop the degradation of rivers, forests, and protected areas.
Three weeks ago, the Government approved the Draft Law on the Inspectorate in the fields of environment, water, nature, construction, housing, radiation protection, and nuclear safety, as a concrete action for protecting the environment where we live.
Because a serious republic cannot be built on degraded rivers, destroyed mountains, and polluted air. A just republic is built by protecting what is common.
Therefore, the Nature Protection Guard is an alliance between citizens and the state—between those who love nature and the institutions that are obliged to protect it.
This unity is essential at a time when environmental challenges are already global. Climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution know no borders.
We believe that protecting nature is not an obstacle to development. On the contrary, it is a prerequisite for sustainable development. Because without clean water, healthy soil, and clean air, there is neither a strong economy nor sustainable well-being.
The Nature Protection Guard makes this conviction concrete. It brings the state closer to the field. It increases vigilance. And it makes responsibility shared.
For the establishment of the Guard, I commend and fully support Minister Fitore Pacolli and the officials of the Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning for this important initiative, which places nature protection at the center of state action.
Dear citizens,
The state is strengthened when the law is enforced.
Society progresses when awareness grows.
And the future is secured when both move together.
Today we are building exactly this: a cooperation where the state and the citizen are not opposed to each other, but side by side.
This is our path:
more order,
more justice,
and more protection for what is common.
Thank you for your attention, support, and participation.
