The Netherlands, 8 September, 2023
The two-day visit to the Netherlands of the first deputy prime minister for European Integration, Development and Dialogue of the Republic of Kosovo, Besnik Bislimi, was characterized by a meeting and open conversation with representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, ambassadors, heads of missions and diplomats of embassies of countries from the region, Europe and beyond, in the Netherlands.
In his speech, Deputy Prime Minister Bislimi spoke about the success story of Kosovo. During the last two years, our country recognized double-digit economic growth in 2021 as well as growth of about 4% in 2022. As for the year 2023, 3.9% was the growth recorded in the first quarter of the year. The rapid economic growth and among the highest in the region as well as the constant forecasts for the continuation of this trajectory are indicators of Kosovo’s success and potential for the future.
Growth must recognize and sustainability in continuity but also guarantee inclusiveness and equal sharing.
Beyond faced crises such as the pandemic and the energy crisis, our country has performed highly economically, having a positive result and keeping the public debt at a low level and showing maturity in fiscal policies. This was also appreciated by the International Monetary Fund, where Kosovo became the first beneficiary country in Europe of the instrument of their newest financing program in April of this year.
Kosovo has proven that beyond the barriers it can perform even higher than the countries of the region, showing that the potential is very large and can be discovered even further. With the liberalization of visas from January 1, 2024 and our application for EU membership in December last year, the way is opened for the acceleration and increase of the intensity of our European journey.
The historical progress achieved and reflected in the European Commission’s country report, where, among other things, it is shown that there is no regression in any field, is evidence of maturity, preparation and readiness to take only steps forward and go to another level of our journey European. Another proof is the positive rankings and the increase in the positions of Kosovo in international indexes and measurements. The receipt of the questionnaire is important for us, and further progress in fulfilling our objective of membership in the European family.
Deputy Prime Minister Bislimi informed the participants about the dialogue process and next week’s high-level meeting. He emphasized that Kosovo continues to remain constructive, active and full of ideas in the process, committed to the implementation of the Basic Agreement which must be implemented in full, without delays and conditions and through a fair, balanced and equal sequencing plan.
The meeting was held at the Embassy of the Republic of Kosovo in the Netherlands. Deputy Prime Minister Bislimi thanked the participants for the fruitful conversation and meeting.
Last modified: September 11, 2023