Pristina, 14 August 2023
The Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, tonight in the “Open Balcony”, organized the farewell reception for the former Minister of Defense, Armend Mehaj, which was attended by members of the governing cabinet, numerous diplomats, high representatives of KFOR, leaders of various local and international institutions, members of the Assembly of the Republic, and close collaborators.
During the reception, Prime Minister Kurti, through a speech, appreciated that since its establishment, Armend Mehaj has been the most hardworking, the most dedicated and the most successful head of the Ministry he led.
“During the 29 months that former minister Mehaj was in office, the number of soldiers almost doubled, adding 2,240 young men and women to the ranks of the Kosovo Security Force. The purchase of armaments has increased by 191%, almost three times more than when he took office”, said the prime minister adding that the military budget today is more than twice as large as it was two years ago, marking an increase from 67 million euros in 2021 to 141 million euros today.
Appreciating his work as a minister, the Prime Minister said that former Minister Mehaj has cooperated with his governmental cabinet colleagues, an inter-ministerial collaboration which according to the Prime Minister has yielded fruit in several important directions.
The achievements of the former Minister Mehaj have also been evidenced in his close and intensive cooperation with international partners and allies. Under his leadership, the Ministry of Defense and the KSF have significantly raised the military profile of the Republic at a global level, accomplishing the first peacekeeping mission in Kuwait and the international mission in the Falkland Islands. And, following the devastating earthquake in Turkey, in February of this year, the KSF team immediately embarked on a search and rescue mission. During this mission, our soldiers managed to save several lives, including two children,” said Prime Minister Kurti.
Furthermore, Prime Minister Kurti said that the success of former minister Mehaj on the international stage was also demonstrated in his efforts to advance Kosovo on its path towards NATO. He deeply understands that NATO has not only contributed to the liberation and security of Kosovo, but it is also our destination.
The Prime Minister also highlighted how Armend would spend his weekend days as Minister not relaxing after a week filled with work and activities, but visiting and expressing gratitude to the families of the martyrs, who have made the ultimate sacrifice, losing their daughters and sons, so that we can live in freedom in an independent Kosovo.
At the end of his speech, Prime Minister Kurti thanked former minister Mehaj with the words “Armend, on my behalf, and on behalf of the entire Government, thank you from the bottom of my heart for your work and service during these past two years and five months. Thank you that, even though physically far from Kosovo, you have never been far in thoughts and in heart. And you have never forgotten how much we owe to our homeland, the beloved Republic of Kosovo. Thank you”.
Meanwhile, the former Minister of Defense, Armend Mehaj, after greeting all those present, said that he believes in the motto which is said in the army ‘Shoulder to Shoulder’, if we go shoulder to shoulder then we can also achieve common goals.
After thanking the Prime Minister for his words and the trust he was given, he said that he has only done his job, as he said, we owe this to our homeland and every martyr of the nation. Furthermore, former minister Mehaj stated that the common goal of everyone is the integration of Kosovo into NATO and the European Union.
Prime Minister Kurti’s full speech:
Dear former Minister Mehaj,
Dear ambassadors and other diplomats,
The honorable commander of KFOR, Major General Ristuccia,
Dear Deputy Prime Ministers, Ministers and Deputy Ministers of the Government,
Dear Members of the Assembly of the Republic,
Respected Generals and Officers,
Dear representatives of institutions,
Dear collaborators, colleagues and friends,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Since it was established, Armend Mehaj has been the hardest-working, most dedicated, and most successful at the head of the Ministry he led. Those who had the pleasure of knowing former minister Mehaj closely, I believe, will agree with my assessment.
The figures clearly show that the Ministry of Defense and the Kosovo Security Force are stronger today than ever before. During the 29 months the former Minister Mehaj was in office, the number of soldiers almost doubled, adding 2,240 young men and women to the ranks of the Kosovo Security Force. The purchase of armament has increased by 191%, meaning almost three times more than when he assumed the duty.
Additionally, the budget for the military today is more than twice as large as it was two years ago, marking an increase from 67 million euros in 2021 to 141 million euros as it stands today. 90 officers have been educated in our Defense Academy and in the most prestigious military academies throughout the world. While over 3000 officers have been trained both domestically and abroad, this is approximately eight times more than in previous governments.
As Prime Minister, I have noticed how easily former Minister Mehaj was able to collaborate with his colleagues in the government cabinet. This inter-ministerial cooperation has yielded fruit in several important directions.
With the Ministry of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation, former Minister Mehaj has finalized the curriculum for the school subject “Education for Security”, so that the new generations may cultivate feelings of patriotism and service to the country. A cooperation protocol has been signed with the Ministry of Health, through which the University Hospital and Clinical Service of Kosovo supports the Ministry of Defense and the Security Force of Kosovo in educating professional and medical staff. With the Ministry of Culture, Youth, and Sports, and the Judo Federation, he signed a memorandum of cooperation to integrate martial arts into the regular training and educational programs of the KSF. And with the Deputy Prime Minister for Minority Issues and Human Rights, Mrs. Emilija Redžepi, he organized a meeting with young men and women from non-majority communities, to show them that they too have a place in our army, just like any other citizen.
In fact, this meeting was only one of many efforts by former Minister Mehaj to include more women and members of communities in our Republic’s security and defense institutions.
The achievements of the former Minister Mehaj have also been evidenced in his close and intensive cooperation with international partners and allies. Under his leadership, the Ministry of Defense and the KSF have significantly raised the military profile of the Republic at a global level, accomplishing the first peacekeeping mission in Kuwait and the international mission in the Falkland Islands. And, following the devastating earthquake in Turkey, in February of this year, the KSF team immediately embarked on a search and rescue mission. During this mission, our soldiers managed to save several lives, including two children.
The success of former minister Mehaj on the international stage was also demonstrated in his efforts to advance Kosovo on its path towards NATO. He deeply understands that NATO has not only contributed to the liberation and security of Kosovo, but it is also our destination. Through the amendment of the Law on the Kosovo Security Force, by removing the limitation on the number of soldiers, as well as the first reading approval of the Draft law on the Intelligence and Defense Security Agency, our country is making significant steps towards meeting NATO standards. Additionally, under the leadership of former Minister Mehaj, our country served, for the first time, as the host of the largest international exercise in the Balkan region, “Defender Europe”, in 2021 and 2023.
I cannot fail to mention the fact that, during his service, Armendi has proven not only to be a strong collaborator, but above all, a good and generous person. With Armend’s insistence, the ordinary soldiers and young officers of the KSF now enjoy a dignified salary, over 30% higher salary than previously. Armend would spend his weekend days as Minister not relaxing after a week filled with work and activities, but visiting and expressing gratitude to the families of the martyrs, who have made the ultimate sacrifice, losing their daughters and sons, so that we can live in freedom in an independent Kosovo.
Armend: on my behalf, and on behalf of the entire Government, thank you from the bottom of my heart for your work and service during these past two years and five months. Thank you that, even though physically far from Kosovo, you have never been far in thoughts and in heart. And you have never forgotten how much we owe to our homeland, the beloved Republic of Kosovo. Thank you!
Last modified: August 17, 2023