Istanbul, December 12, 2011
Kosovo’s Deputy Prime Minister, Edita Tahiri, attended at the Regional Women’s Lobby Strategic Meeting (RWLSEE) which convened in Istanbul from December 8th to 11th, 2011. The central theme of this international meeting was the “Security Situation in the region and women empowerment in the Euro-Atlantic Integration Processes”. Representatives of the seven regional countries and representatives of the UN’s UNWomen and UNDP attended the meeting.
Deputy Prime Minister Tahiri, who also is the Chairperson of Women’s Regional Lobby, among others, in her remarks, she emphasized the importance of European reforms for the regional countries and the rule of law and the sustainable economic development. She asserted that security situation in the region is generally stabile but there are still issues burdening the security agenda. In this context she noted that un-friendly neighbouring relations between Kosovo and Serbia, issues of state consolidation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the ethnic situation in Macedonia.
Speaking of Kosovo, Tahiri underscored the principles of democratic state-building and the European reforms as well as the constructive efforts in the technical dialogue with Serbia, thanking on this event the EU for the rewards towards Kosovo in assessing reforms and on the constructivism in the dialogue. On this event, she invited Serbia to implement agreements reached in Brussels and in dismantling parallel structures in order to apply European standards for good neighbouring relations and regional stability.
In particular, Deputy Prime Minister Tahiri emphasized that the region is in the Euro-Atlantic era and it is of essential importance that policies of regional countries be led by the Euro-Atlantic principles as the sole path for prosperity and sustainable peace in these areas.
With regard to women issues, Tahiri noted women empowerment processes in Kosovo and in the region and committed to efforts towards a sustainable strengthening of women in politics and in decision-making positions. In this context, she spoke of high regard for the activities of the Women Regional Lobby as a powerful organization with the mission of empowering women for peace, security and justice in the spirit of UNSCR 1325.
Ms. Tahiri expressed special gratitude to UNWomen for the continued support for the Women Regional Lobby and to UNDP on offering to publish a book on the WRL activities.
Representatives of the seven countries of the region contributed to this WRL strategic meeting where alongside Kosovo’s presence there were also Croatia, Serbia, Albania, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Macedonia.
Last modified: July 31, 2022