Prishtina, 19 May, 2023
The Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, accompanied by the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, Liza Gashi, participated in the third edition of the “Diaspora Flet” conference, organized by the GERMIN organization with the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora.
In his speech, Prime Minister Kurti said that the Albanian diaspora has played and continues to have an extraordinary importance for the economic, social and political development of Kosovo.
He said that within the first two years of our mandate, we managed to include in the discussion over 20 main centers where our emigrants live and work. Also, we are committed to providing innovative ways to involve the diaspora in policy-making processes by becoming active participants in the daily life of our country. Therefore, in our Government there are ministries, there are deputy ministers, advisers and engaged experts who come from the diaspora.
Prime Minister Kurti said that another promise of the government is being fulfilled in terms of the voting process, which according to him foresees that the diaspora will have a real facilitation of the expression of their political will, as the embassies and consulates of the Republic during the elections will turn into voting centers.
During the conference, Prime Minister Kurti stated that together with Albania, they are working on the part of supplementary education, in particular the provision of books for children who follow the supplementary education of the Albanian language, but also on the joint plan to address the many challenges we have to preserve the Albanian language abroad. Therefore, he emphasized, this summer, within the framework of the Joint Seminar of the Albanian Language, which will be held in Albania, the emphasis will be on the concept-document for addressing the challenges we face with supplementary language learning abroad.
At the end of his speech, Prime Minister Kurti said that only by recognizing the importance of the diaspora for our economic, social and political development, and by treating it as a precious asset and source for all-round development, will we be able to we build a stronger and more stable state.
The Prime Minister invited the attendees to actively participate in the discussions and exchanges that will take place during this conference today and tomorrow.
“Together, we will work to make a lasting impact on our hometown and leave behind a legacy of prosperity for future generations. We are not responsible for the world as we found it, but we are responsible for the world we leave to the generations that come after us, and because we have responsibility, let us be responsible”, said Prime Minister Kurti.
Prime Minister Kurti, after this conference, visited the fair of businesses with women owners, supported by GERMIN, who are mentored by the diaspora.
Prime Minister Kurti’s complete speech:
Thank you Donika,
Dear Deputy Minister Gashi,
Dear co-directors of GERMIN, Mrs. Bejtullahu and Mr. Krasniqi,
Dear GERMIN board members,
Dear compatriots,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Sisters and brothers,
Dear guests,
I am honored to speak before you today at the third edition of the “Diaspora Speaks” conference, a platform that celebrates the great achievements and potential of the Albanian diaspora. It is platforms like these that enable us to strengthen the partnership with and among the diaspora for the further development of our country, but at the same time for the strengthening of the diaspora wherever it is.
The Albanian diaspora has played and continues to have an extraordinary importance for the economic, social and political development of Kosovo. The contribution of the diaspora is felt in all sectors; from entrepreneurship and investment, to knowledge transfer and philanthropy. Through your hard work and unceasing commitment to the common future, the diaspora is the most precious asset of our nation.
We are well aware of the role and importance of diaspora engagement in Kosovo. But we also highly appreciate its potential as one of the main sources for development. Therefore, we are committed in our daily work to implement policies that relate the role of the diaspora not only as an important part of our identity, but also as a tremendous force for the changes that are beginning to take shape. in the Republic of Kosovo.
In accordance with this commitment, from the very beginning we have promoted the “Dialogue with the Migrant” as a platform to discuss the opportunities, challenges and demands of our compatriots in all corners of the world. Within the first two years of our mandate, we have managed to include in the discussion over 20 main centers where our emigrants live and work. Also, we are committed to providing innovative ways to involve the diaspora in policy-making processes by becoming active participants in the daily life of our country. Therefore, in our Government there are ministries, there are deputy ministers, advisers and engaged experts who come from the diaspora.
We are currently finalizing the legal framework, which reflects our deep appreciation for the contribution of the diaspora. With the new Law on General Elections, we are putting an end to a long-standing injustice towards migrants, as far as voting is concerned, and we are finally fulfilling one of our promises. He envisages that the diaspora will have real relief in expressing their political will, as the embassies and consulates of the Republic will be transformed into voting centers during the elections.
Likewise, within the framework of the reform in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, the diaspora is directly related to the work done by our missions in different countries of the world. But the innovation will be that there will be personnel directly engaged in the issues and topics related to our community.
These instruments will enable us to strengthen our ties, improve cooperation and give the diaspora the power to play an even greater role, however meritorious.
In addition to changing and drafting laws, during these two years of governance we have also designed authentic programs, such as “Taste Kosovo” with a focus on connecting members of the new diaspora with their country of origin through non-formal education, natural and cultural excursions. Also, the program for public diplomacy “Citizen Diplomacy Fellowship”, which aims to connect with the country of origin through professional engagement, and the first generation has already completed the engagement and in the call of the second generation, for the first time will offer the opportunity, for our diaspora to engage in diplomatic and consular missions precisely through this program. The call is expected to open next week.
Also, intensive work is being done with Albania on the part of supplementary education, especially on the provision of books for children who follow the supplementary education of the Albanian language, but also on the joint plan to address the many challenges we have to preserve the Albanian language abroad. Therefore, this summer, within the framework of the Joint Seminar of the Albanian Language, which will be held in Albania, the emphasis will be on the concept-document for addressing the challenges we face with supplementary language learning abroad. Furthermore, to address the many demands that our diaspora has, for the first time we are designing a fund for the diaspora with the aim of providing financial resources to co-create new ideas and provide creative solutions for communities where you live and act. This fund presents good partnership opportunities with all associations, associations and institutes to address key objectives in our approach to engagement, collaboration and co-creation with our diaspora.
We are emphasizing the Albanian language, because we believe that here is the key to integration without assimilation, through good learning of the Albanian language, which means good textbooks, language, literature on the one hand and on the other hand teachers, teachers and educators of professionally prepared, we will achieve that our compatriots, their children learn the Albanian language well and in this way manage to integrate successfully, but at the same time not to assimilate, but to protect the culture of the two countries where they live and act. So, the place of origin and place of work and residence.
Another important issue within our government program is the establishment of the Sovereign Fund of the Republic of Kosovo. In June of last year, we approved the outline document at the Government meeting, while the public discussion is now being completed, the Draft Law on the Sovereign Fund of the Republic of Kosovo, which is then approved by the Government and brought to a plenary session in the Assembly of Kosovo, so that it can also be discussed and dealt with before it is approved.
The idea of the Sovereign Fund is the best idea of 2017, and since then we have constantly emphasized and promoted it. The Sovereign Fund aims to introduce a new dynamic in the economy of our Republic, in which case we will not only have rich people, but we will also make the state rich. The economy in these post-war years, especially after the declaration of independence, has been devastated by being subject to either misuse of public funds or even abusive privatizations.
So, we want to stop this trend, let’s say centrifugal trend in our economy, make it centripetal. Let’s make the gravity of our economy. So that the Sovereign Fund, on the one hand, takes over public enterprises from the Government, while on the other hand, the assets of the Kosovo Privatization Agency, which must be closed, are some 24,000 assets, including 42,000 hectares of agricultural land that must be protected, and this A Sovereign Fund with a Board of Directors and a management where we expect to come especially from our diaspora would be directly connected to the Assembly of the Republic. So, answer to the Parliament, as the highest representative legislative body of our democratic Republic. In other words, we are trying to reduce the Government, make it faster and on the other hand, increase the State and make it stronger. We want smaller and faster Government and stronger and bigger state. The Sovereign Fund is the main reform in the economy, which enables, yes I can say, guarantees such a thing.
In the future, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora will certainly present in more detail all the changes, which are taking shape within our new approach to the diaspora, and to this most competent person in our Government cabinet than the deputy minister, Liza Gashi, does not have. I don’t know anyone who knows more compatriots in the diaspora than Liza Gashi. I am not saying that such a person does not exist, but I do not know him.
Only by recognizing the importance of the diaspora for our economic, social and political development, and treating it as a precious asset and source for all-round development, will we be able to build a stronger and more stable state.
I invite you to actively participate in the discussions and exchanges that will take place during this conference today and tomorrow. And together, we will work to have a lasting impact on our homeland and leave behind a legacy of prosperity for future generations.
We are not responsible for the world as we found it, but we are responsible for the world we leave to the generations that come after us, and because we have responsibility, let’s be responsible.
Thank you.
Last modified: May 19, 2023