Prishtina, 1 August 2023
The Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, participated in the marking of the National Day of Switzerland, organized by the Embassy of Switzerland in Kosovo.
At this event, Prime Minister Kurti said that our diaspora from Switzerland has brought an economic boost and a new perspective to the country. “Kosovo is lucky not only to have Switzerland as an example of what a state can achieve, but also to establish deep ties with that country. Switzerland has played a crucial role in our journey. First, it has opened doors and provided opportunities for those fleeing one of the worst crimes humanity has ever seen. Over a quarter of a million Swiss citizens have their roots in Kosovo”, Prime Minister Kurti assessed.
On this occasion, the prime minister also mentioned concrete examples of successful Albanians living in Switzerland and their extraordinary professional journey. “The success of the Swiss of Kosovar origin does not appear only in football matches, as in the case of Xhaka and Shaqiri, but also in the form of the director of the heart surgery clinic at the University of Zurich – as in the case of Omer Dzemali – and in the countries of cantonal councils – as in the case of Ylfete Fanaj.” said Prime Minister Kurti.
Mentioning the economic development in Kosovo, he added that it was made possible thanks to the humanitarian and economic aid that Switzerland has provided since 1990, which began as humanitarian aid and has now been transformed into development aid, which extends to the fields of infrastructure, education, environmental protection, governance, health care and much more.
“This support is being intensified with the allocation of 86 million Swiss francs for the period 2022-2025, where the management of water resources in the face of the devastating effects of climate change remains a top priority,” said the prime minister.
He expressed his happiness with the strengthening of relations between our countries over the past 15 years:
“As a government, we are fully committed to further strengthen this cooperation, especially in our economic relations, through the EFTA agreement, direct investments and increased trade exchanges. Switzerland remains a key example for us – as it does for the rest of the world – of stability, prosperity, a dynamic local economy, respect for the environment and the thriving and diverse society it enjoys,” Prime Minister Kurti concluded
Prime Minister Kurti’s complete speech:
Your Excellency Thomas Kolly, Ambassador of the Switzerland in Kosova,
Honorable Ministers of the Government,
Members of Parliament,
Honorable ambassadors, Heads of mission’s
Charge’ d’affaires and Representatives of Embassies,
Dear ladies and gentlemen,
Distinguished guests,
I am pleased to be together with you today to celebrate August First, Switzerland’s national day. 732 years ago, the cantons of Uri, Schwyz [Shvic] and Unterwalden signed the Federal Charter to free themselves from external enemies. Ever since, this day has served as an example to the world that unity can transcend linguistic and other boundaries, and that political cooperation and resilience can withstand the tests of time and external pressure.
Kosova is fortunate not only to have Switzerland as an example of what a country can achieve, but also to forge deep connections with that country. Switzerland has played a crucial role in our journey. First, it has opened doors and provided opportunities to those fleeing one of the worst crimes that humanity has witnessed. Over a quarter million Swiss citizens have their roots in Kosova.
This diaspora has not only brought an economic boost to our country but has also provided a perspective shaped by their experiences in their new home. Nearly 60 years ago, in the spring of 1964, the first Albanian immigrants arrived in Switzerland. They went to work in the agriculture sector, because that is where the Swiss economy most needed them. The Swiss writer Max Frisch — who in 1933 made a tour around Kosova — remarked after the arrival of the first foreign workers in Switzerland, that, I quote, “we called for a workforce, and human beings came”. The bulk of the migration however happened when the lives and freedoms of ethnic Albanians faced existential risks.
Switzerland has enabled our community to carve remarkable professional paths beyond the sectors in which our first immigrants worked. The success of Swiss with Albanian origins are manifested not only in football matches, as in the case of Xhaka and Shaqiri, but also in the form of the director of the clinic for heart surgery in the University of Zurich – as in the case of Omer Dzemali – and in the seats of cantonal councils – as in the case of Ylfete Fanaj. These successes are also marked in thriving businesses and cultural centers, making it evident that those fleeing war and instability have, in Switzerland, found not only a home, but a land where their dreams have taken flight.
Meanwhile, here in Kosova, the economic breakthroughs we see now are due in no small part to the steadfast humanitarian and economic support that Switzerland has provided. What started as humanitarian assistance in the 1990s has transitioned into development assistance, Government’s that spans across the fields of infrastructure, education, environmental protection, healthcare and more. In the process, roads and bridges have been built, farmers have received vocational training that enables them to grow their small businesses sustainably, and 600,000 citizens in rural areas have been able to gain access to clean drinking water.
This support is intensifying with the allocation of 86 million Swiss francs for the 2022 to 2025 period, where the management of water resources in the face of the devastating effects of climate change remains a top priority.
Through this help, Kosova has transitioned from an aid recipient to a bona fide trade partner. Switzerland is Kosova’s third largest bilateral cooperation partner and has become the top export destination for Kosovar services in the fields of information and communication technology and other business outsourcing services. Our country has also become an important and growing nearshoring destination for several Swiss companies.
Additionally, Switzerland’s tradition of direct democracy and participatory culture uniquely demonstrate the possibilities of democracy. Like nowhere else, the Swiss people actively use their right to influence the politics of everyday life.
It is only natural that our citizens, mainly in these hot summer months, are able to give a warm welcome to our friends from Switzerland. In addition to our diaspora, a good number of tourists come to savor the cultural treasures and the natural beauty of our country — of Kosova, the 27th canton, as the Swiss media are prone to call us, with very serious irony.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Switzerland was the first country that, through then–Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy Rey, declared its support for the independence of Kosova, even before we declared it.
With the strengthening of our relations over the past 15 years, I am very happy that our two countries enjoy excellent relations at all levels. As a government, we are fully committed to strengthening this cooperation even further, especially in our economic relations, through the EFTA agreement, direct investment and an increase of commercial exchange.
Switzerland remains a key example to us – as it does for the rest of the world – of the stability, prosperity, dynamic local economy, respect for the environment, and the thriving, diverse society that it enjoys.
We are thrilled that what was born out of immense generosity during our darkest times, can now flourish in a far brighter era.
Happy National Holiday! Danke! Merci! Grazie! Grazia!
Last modified: August 3, 2023