Oslo, November 9, 2024
The Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, was welcomed last night by compatriots in Oslo and friends of Kosovo from Norway. Alongside Prime Minister Kurti was the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, Donika Gërvalla-Schwarz. At this gathering hosted by the Embassy of Kosovo in Norway, the former Norwegian ambassador to Kosovo, Jens Erik Grøndahl, was in attendance.
The Prime Minister began his address by expressing heartfelt thanks to all those present who had found the time to respond to the invitation for this meeting. He was pleased to note that our diaspora in Norway is integrating successfully, with an increasing presence of Albanian entrepreneurs, students, and educators. The Albanian Council in Norway includes 22 associations of Albanians from all Albanian regions and has a membership of 20,000 people.
The Prime Minister emphasized that Norway is a partner and friend of our Republic, which has continuously supported Kosovo, and with which our relations are increasingly growing. Recently, an agreement for Free Trade has been reached with the member states of EFTA, which includes Norway, thereby increasing opportunities for greater exchanges and enhanced economic and trade cooperation, which have already been on a positive trend in recent years.
By mentioning examples and success stories of our diaspora’s investments, and the opportunities that Kosovo offers along with the support the Government provides through the Diaspora Investment Window, the Prime Minister urged them to continue investing in our country and to explore ways and opportunities to practice their professions in Kosovo as well.
Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister Gërvalla, in her address, urged our compatriots to register as part of the ongoing online population registration process for our diaspora until the end of the year, emphasizing the importance of registration data in planning and providing services for them by our institutions. She further called on our fellow countrymen to register for diaspora voting, enabling them to exercise their constitutional right to vote in the upcoming elections, either in person or by mail at the embassies and consulates of the Republic of Kosovo for the first time. The Deputy Prime Minister Gërvalla thanked everyone for their participation and for the contribution over the years and ongoing.
Tomorrow, Prime Minister Kurti, together with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister Gërvalla, will be in Frankfurt, Germany, where they will also engage in a discussion with fellow countrymen. These discussions serve the country’s institutions’ calls for a greater registration of the diaspora in the online process as part of the population registration and for registration to vote abroad, while also providing an opportunity to discuss developments in the country and the country’s investment offerings.
Last modified: November 12, 2024