Pristina, May 7, 2023
In the evening, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo organized a welcome cocktail for the participants, guests and co-organizers of the Vienna Economic Talks, which will be held in Pristina, under the patronage of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo and in cooperation with the Vienna Economic Forum, where Kosovo is a member. 15 years now.
Prime Minister Kurti’s complete speech to the audience:
Your Excellency Ambassador Victor Jackovich, President of the Vienna Economic Forum,
Your Excellency Ambassador Elena Kirtcheva, Secretary General of the Vienna Economic Forum,
Your Excellencies, Ambassadors, representatives of diplomatic missions in Kosova,
EU Head of Mission, Mr. Szunyog,
U.S. Ambassador, Mr. Hovenier,
Austrian Ambassador, Mr. Weidinger,
And our Ambassador to Austria, Mr. Pllana.
Dear Dr. Lilyana Pavlova, Vice President of the European Investment Bank,
Dear members, business and other partners of the Vienna Economic Forum,
Dear guests,
It is a great pleasure to welcome you to Kosova, to capital town, to Prishtina, and even more so in support of an initiative of such profound value, the Vienna Economic Talks, which kicks off tomorrow.
If the past, which we know, gives certain indication of the future, then I must say that the European Union gives us a great vision to hold on to. Despite being at war in the 20th century, it built itself into the container holding some of the strongest, most resilient, liberal and social democracies ever witnessed. A container of age-old adversaries turned peaceful co-operators. A container that serves as one of the greatest political and economic achievements of modern times.
It is no secret that as a region, here we in the Balkans, have too had our struggles: long periods of political unrest that have destabilized all aspects of our society. But the Western Balkans are defined by far more than their difficult past. It is a region that — just like Western Europe after the Second World War — shows that innovation, peace and security can come from turmoil; that a difficult past means that progress does not travel on a straight line. It is also a region that holds tremendous untapped potential, one that can be realized with increased economic cooperation. So difficult past is not an obstacle for a brighter future.
Economic cooperation is not merely an exchange of goods and services in order to generate wealth for countries, but also an exchange and incubation of ideas and shared values. Economic cooperation has therefore established itself as a blueprint for building and rebuilding strong democracies.
In the past two years, Kosova has witnessed this link between economic growth and democratic progress. It is no coincidence that in the two years of our government, despite large unsettling macroeconomic events such as the COVID pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Kosova has experienced positive record growth while also being acknowledged by various international organizations for democratic advancement. This week, Reporters without Borders gave our country a record ranking for the freedom of press in our country, while earlier this year Transparency International recognized Kosova for improving our raking by 22 places in the fight against corruption. Meanwhile, Freedom House also acknowledged the overall improvements in political rights and civil liberties in this country.
The achievements so far are only the beginning of the opportunities ahead of us, opportunities that we have to master together. The environment nowadays, more than any other time, calls for joint work. The sophistication of technology and the growing threat of climate change will define the contours of our democracy more profoundly than any other global trend. The way we steer our economic development in the face of these trends will determine the way our democracies function.
The current time provides us with an opportune window. Green, sustainable technologies can open doors to achieve technological leapfrogging. Unencumbered by past systems and committed to our values, the Western Balkan countries can together accelerate economic development and continue to build fairer, more sustainable, and more prosperous countries for our citizens. As a result, our bridges with one another will strengthen our region’s bridge to the EU.
Cooperation between the Western Balkan countries, supported by an indispensable European partner such as Austria, is the task and opportunity at hand, and Kosova, for one, remains a great champion of this cause, and of the great future we can build by working together.
I hope your time in Kosova is inspirational, productive and leads to important building blocks in this direction.
Thank you very much!
Last modified: May 8, 2023