London, 23 May 2024
During his stay in the United Kingdom, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, was invited to a conversation organized by the ODI (Overseas Development Institute), moderated by the executive director of this institute, Sara Pantuliano.
Prime Minister Kurti first described the journey of our country towards independence, development of the country and democratization, on the eve of the 25th anniversary of the liberation of Kosovo in June 1999. In this regard, he recalled the role of the diaspora in the construction of Kosovo and appreciated the contribution of the United Kingdom, the United States of America and all our allies.
Further, asked by Mrs. Pantuliano more specifically on the advancement and development of the country, the Prime Minister emphasized that the economy is growing, everything has been rebuilt and our orientation and values have been strengthened towards the EU and NATO, democracy, the rule of law, economic development and the fight against corruption. He said that democratic progress and economic development should go hand in hand with each other, while in our case success in this achievement is proven by international indices and measurements.
The Prime Minister reflected on the economic progress in the last three years, where Kosovo has marked a doubling of exports and foreign direct investments, the increase of the country’s economy by one billion each year, an increase in budget revenues without changing fiscal policies, average economic growth of 6.2%, as well as an increase in employment by 20%, among others. He emphasized that it has been of particular importance that this increase be distributed to society and citizens, therefore, initiatives and policies have been undertaken, such as free higher education, allowances for children and pregnant mothers, as well as the dual education system is being developed in order to connect of education with the labor market, where the biggest beneficiaries are young people and women.
He also mentioned the attention to the agriculture sector through subsidies for farmers and investments in the field of health, the energy sector in the journey towards the transition to green energy, but also those in the field of defense, considering the aggressive behavior of our northern neighbor.
He also emphasized the support for businesses, industries and enterprises, highlighting the advancements in the technology sector and the potential for expansion and growth of this sector.
While recalling the signing of the 400 million euro agreement with the EBRD at the Summit held in London in February of this year, the Prime Minister said that the financial support of our allies will further support us in channeling our efforts in the integration journeys, where he singled out the Plan of EU growth for the Western Balkans.
Prime Minister Kurti thanked the ODI Institute for the hospitality and the opportunity to address the audience and thanked the participants for the questions and interest shown in getting to know many issues, which are related to the current situation in the country as well as the situation in the region and Europe.
Last modified: May 27, 2024