Prishtina, 15 July, 2022
The Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, hosted the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland, at the same time the head of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), Zbigniew Rau, in his first official visit to Kosovo. The meeting discussed the full advancement of diplomatic relations between the two countries, as well as peace and security in the region and Europe.
Prime Minister Kurti thanked the minister for supporting Poland in the KFOR mission, membership in international organizations and Kosovo’s path towards European and Euro-Atlantic integration.
He informed the Polish foreign minister about the progress in one year of government, the economic growth of 10.3 percent of the gross domestic product, the increase in foreign direct investments by 22 percent, tax revenues by 54 percent, the increase in exports by 83.6 percent in the fields of wood processing, leather, textile, food, beverages and the communication and information technology sector.
When people have hope, then they spend more than they save, and when they see that there is no corruption in the government, they are more willing to pay taxes, he said, while he mentioned the favorable geographical position, the young, creative and talented population, the good knowledge of the English language, the wide reach of the Internet network and the stable fiscal policy as stable reasons for investment in Kosovo.
He singled out the human potential that Kosovo has, which is based on creative youth, and said that the Government of the Republic of Kosovo sees the promotion and support of innovation and technology applicants as a priority and a path towards social development and a sustainable economy.
The Prime Minister also emphasized the determination of law and order institutions to fight crime and corruption, which, as he said, even the US President, Biden, has described as a danger to the national security of every country.
Minister Rau praised the progressive reforms and the maintenance of social harmony, evaluating them as the right path of the government. He emphasized friendly relations and the necessity of increasing trade exchanges and investments of Polish companies. While in the capacity of the head of the OSCE, he expressed the readiness of the organization to help in the electoral reform.
Speaking about the challenges in the dialogue process with Serbia, Prime Minister Kurti emphasized the continuous constructive approach to the dialogue and the readiness to discuss an agreement based on mutual recognition and which benefits the citizens of both countries.
The risk of destabilization of the region after the unprovoked and unjustified military invasion and aggression in Ukraine was highlighted and the two interlocutors agreed that the current political developments should be watched with vigilance and always in view of peace and hope for the future.
The Foreign Minister of Poland, Rau, congratulated Prime Minister Kurti for the commitment and solidarity of the Government and the people of Kosovo with the people of Ukraine, with the imposition of sanctions and the provision of shelter for 5,000 refugees and 20 Ukrainian journalists.
Last modified: July 18, 2022