Prishtina, 15 December, 2023
Today, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, participated in a round-table discussion with the young people of the Roma community, an event organized by the Office for Community Affairs, within the Office of the Prime Minister.
During his address, Prime Minister Kurti acknowledged the contribution that this community has brought to the Republic of Kosovo.
In this table, there was discussion about the challenges, opportunities of the Roma community, about the priorities for 2024, activities that have been carried out during the year, as well as the issue of employment, for which a paid internship platform was created through “Kosovo Generation Unlimited”, which aims to have 15% of the interns from non-majority communities in Kosovo.
Prime Minister Kurti emphasized that the Government has invested 200,000 euros in learning centers to help Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian students.
He mentioned significant achievements such as the allocation of budgetary resources for the renovation and construction of 618 community houses, from which the Roma community also benefits.
From the Ministry of Communities and Return grants, 146 Roma families have benefited from white goods, furniture, hygiene and food packages, and support for businesses as well as for the use of the Roma language. The Strategy and Action Plan for Youth has been translated into the Roma language to enable full consultation with the youth of Kosovo.
He also added that scholarships were awarded to 500 students of these communities in secondary schools, while 55 scholarships were awarded to students in public universities.
Given this situation, while addressing the issue of population registration that is set to begin in April of next year, the Prime Minister stressed that for the first time every community will have a registrar from their respective community, thus making the conversation more productive and as friendly as possible.
“We aspire to guarantee on this occasion, that the rights enshrined in the Constitution are appreciated as they deserve to be, at both the local and the central level, by all communities, and we are devoted to making sure the Roma community is fully involved in the registration process,” concluded Prime Minister Kurti.
In conclusion, he expressed that despite the challenges and difficulties faced by this community, they will overcome them together.
Prime Minister Kurti’s full speech:
Thank you very much!
Vlaca dive!
Honorable Erxhan Galushi, deputy in the Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo,
Honorable Sylejman Elshani, Deputy Minister in the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports,
Honorable representatives of the Roma community,
Welcome and glad to see each other, on this special day and for an equally special occasion.
I am pleased to discuss the priorities of 2024, while I also look forward to hearing from you about the impact of the initiatives and activities we have undertaken and developed this year, which we are slowly but surely leaving behind. And also emphasizing the issue that has been raised most and most often in our meetings is that of employment, and we are addressing this as you know.
In particular, we’ve established a platform for paid internships via “Kosovo Generation Unlimited”, with an objective of having 15% of the interns coming from minority communities. During this year, I met with young people who have benefited from this program, not only financially, but also in preparation for the labor market.
In collaboration with the Interinstitutional Team for Roma, Ashkali, and Egyptian Employment, we have undertaken some practical initiatives that have helped these communities integrate into the workforce and contribute to our local economy in Kosovo.
In October, the legal basis for the affirmative measure was established, regarding the announcement of jobs which are reserved solely for non-majority communities. And this aids in achieving the 10% quota that is reserved for these communities in the central institutions of the Republic.
Even in the field of security, community employment has increased. I am glad that a Roma soldier, along with 11 others from non-majority communities, will next week be sworn in as members of the Kosovo Security Force. For wider inclusion in public security agencies, an Open Day was organized last month at the Academy in Vushtrri, exclusively for communities. Here I had the opportunity to talk with over 100 young people, mainly from the Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian communities.
The government has invested 200,000 euros in educational centers as assistance for Roma, Ashkali, and Egyptian students because you have emphasized the importance that you know from your life experience of these educational centers. I have been told that many Roma, Ashkali, and Egyptian individuals I know have actually rooted their educational, professional growth, and their presence in the public sphere, and subsequently becoming well-known and appreciated public figures, precisely in these educational centers.
We have proceeded with providing scholarships for 500 high school students from various communities, and we have allocated 55 scholarships for students attending public universities.
The phenomenon of early marriage is present in some regions of Kosovo, therefore, in response to this, this week we have established the interinstitutional working group for the prevention and reporting of early marriages, precisely in the last meeting of the Government of the Republic of Kosovo, which we had yesterday.
This group has a broad participation of institutional, civil society and human rights advocates. We hope that together next year, we will bring a real change in the protection of the girls of the community.
For education and employment, work must be continuous, but there is also a development this year that is of particular importance to the community; I’m referring to the population census, which will start in the month of April.
For us as a state, it is essential to plan the appropriate infrastructure for citizens seeking services in our Republic, and population census is the most fundamental and serious process that contributes to sound policies for the overall development of the country.
The population census is the reflection of a population. Each of us looks at ourselves at least once a day in the mirror, and just by seeing ourselves in the mirror, we manage to adjust ourselves as we think we should appear.
Without population census, we are without a mirror, and self-adjustment without a mirror might seem good in one’s mind, but not necessarily in the eyes of others, and moreover, not in the individual’s own perception. We need to consolidate the mirror for our state, our population, where it sees itself and then adjusts according to the plans and visions it holds.
We aspire to guarantee on this occasion, that the rights enshrined in the Constitution are appreciated as they deserve to be, at both the local and the central level, by all communities, and we are devoted to making sure the Roma community is fully involved in the registration process.
So, we want to help you to help us, to assist each other.
We have allocated funds for community NGOs that disseminate information to citizens. We have also reserved 42 positions for enumerators and Roma supervisors. Because there are those who both enumerate and register, as well as those who supervise the enumerators. For both categories, we need members from the Roma, Ashkali, and Egyptian communities. As a result, for the first time, we are offering citizens the opportunity for each community to have a registrar from their own community, aiming for more effective and friendly dialogue, closer ties. We have initiated such an approach.
This year, we have allocated budgetary funds for the renovation and construction of 618 community houses, from which the Roma community also benefits. Through grants from the Ministry for Communities and Returns, 146 Roma families have received white goods, furniture, hygiene and food packages, as well as support for their businesses.
This week, I hosted a conference with donors, discussing the need to provide housing for 60 families, mainly Roma but also Ashkali and Egyptian, who have come from Montenegro or North Macedonia. We hope that during the next year these families will have a roof over their heads. We are talking about existential living and housing conditions.
I am aware that within today’s attendees, we have activists who have singled out these families, thus they have assisted in locating them and simultaneously enrolling them into the register where we will handle the issue of new housing. They have been in a very difficult situation as families, so from here, I want to thank you for the dedication and commitment you have shown in identifying them. Now, we need to continue working with the British Embassy, the Danish Refugee Council, and the municipalities of Gjilan and Ferizaj to complete this highly important process during the upcoming year.
In order to use the Romani language, we’ve ensured the Strategy and Action Plan for Youth is translated into your Romani language, achieving complete consultation with Kosovo’s youngsters. Additionally, the newsletter sent every two weeks by the Office for Community Affairs, showcasing opportunities from our Government that might be of interest to communities, is sent in the Romani language, along with other languages spoken in Kosovo.
I thank you very much for your participation, for the role, commitment, and contribution you have made, are making, and that we will always do together. I especially thank my advisor, Nurije Shala, for organizing this event along with the Office for Community Affairs.
Thank you Nurije,
Thank you Erxhan,
Thank you Sylejman,
Thank you, everyone,
Now it’s your turn.
Oven saste!
Thank you!
Last modified: December 21, 2023