Prishtina, 20 December 2024
Today in Prishtina, the second joint meeting was held between the Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo and the Assembly of the Republic of Albania, during which the Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, delivered a keynote speech.
Prime Minister Kurti’s full speech:
Honourable President of the Republic of Kosovo, Mrs. Vjosa Osmani-Sadriu,
Honourable Speaker of the Assembly of the Republic of Albania, Mrs. Elisa Spiropali,
Honourable Prime Minister of the Republic of Albania, Mr. Edi Rama,
Honourable Speaker of the Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo, Mr. Glauk Konjufca,
Honourable members of parliament of our two democratic and parliamentary republics,
Honourable leaders and representatives of central and local institutions,
Your Excellencies, ambassadors and other diplomats,
Dear families of martyrs, war invalids and veterans of the Kosovo Liberation Army,
Dear citizens,
Today in Prishtina, the weather is cold, as is fitting for these closing weeks of the year, but I believe it does not affect the warm atmosphere in this hall, where two assemblies, that of Albania and that of Kosovo, have come together. And it could not be otherwise. Our two republics are parliamentary, and you, dear members of parliament, represent the citizens of two states and the members of the same nation. Our two states, although founded at different times, are the political expressions of the same century-old aspiration of Albanians to preserve their identity and achieve national unity. The first legislature of the Assembly of Albania, emerging from pluralist elections, recognized the declaration of the Republic of Kosovo through its resolution of 21 October 1991. The sense of brotherhood, historical awareness and responsibility toward the citizens who have elected us to represent them motivate meetings like this one.
As the head of the Government of Kosovo, I express my satisfaction that today the assemblies of the two states are taking stock and evaluating the agreements signed during joint governmental meetings, which I believe cover all areas of state activity: from defense; infrastructure; agriculture; trade exchanges; common energy market; tourism; control-free border movement; recognition of social contributions for pension purposes; unification of school textbooks; organization of joint artistic and sports activities; reduction of administrative procedures for residence, study, employment, entrepreneurship and more. The tangible results of these agreements are visible to the citizens and serve as an incentive to continue along this path. Allow me to mention just a few of the joint achievements:
Albania is among the top five countries with which Kosovo has the largest volume of trade exchanges and is Kosovo’s main trading partner for 2023, with a trade value of €440 million;
– The common energy market, ALPEX “Albanian Power Exchange”, is operational;
– Control-free border movement of citizens for a nine-month period and during weekends and national holidays for the remaining three months, with ongoing efforts to remove controls throughout the entire year;
– Facilitation of inspection procedures for non-animal origin products at border inspection points;
– Opening of 26 new border crossings for over 200,000 residents of border areas and rehabilitation of several road segments in border villages between Albania and Kosovo;
– Opening of two customs offices of Kosovo in Durrës and Porto Romano and reduction of double scanning from 100% to 10%;
– Opening of new flight routes for commercial flights, reducing flight times to and from Kosovo;
– Provision of medical services by hospitals in border areas such as Kukës, Gjakova and Prizren for their residents;
– Cooperation in Kosovo’s successful application to host the Mediterranean Games in 2030 and co-organization of the European Volleyball Championship for U16 girls;
– A joint fund for theatrical projects and the organization of the nationwide Albanian theatre festival “Moisiu”;
– Numerous joint activities in cinematography, cultural heritage and museums;
– The same Albanian primer has been taught in our schools for three years now, and cooperation continues on drafting the “Albanian Encyclopedia”;
– Harmonization of procedures for student enrollment and provision of scholarships;
– Facilitation of transit procedures for military goods and dual-use technology.
– Cooperation in search-and-rescue operations in both countries;
– A joint digital platform for information and promotion of tourism, among others.
Dear members of our Assemblies,
We are fully aware that boasting and self-satisfaction over our achievements are not permitted. There is much work ahead for us, as Governments, Assemblies and public administrations to facilitate the natural cooperation between the citizens of our two republics. As our renowned poet and writer Primo Shllaku said: “The border between Kosovo and Albania is like the border between the two ventricles of the heart.” The Assemblies play a crucial role in approving bilateral agreements and also in monitoring their implementation.
I believe that the joint parliamentary committees established specifically for relations and agreements between the two states would assist in this direction. We have work to do not only for our citizens but also to help ensure the safety and dignified lives of Albanians in neighbouring states, such as North Macedonia, Montenegro, and especially the Presheva Valley in Serbia. Albanians in Serbia are the most discriminated ethnic community in Europe; therefore, they deserve greater attention in the coordination of regional policies by the Republic of Albania and the Republic of Kosovo. Albanians are not at fault for being indigenous.
In next year’s budget, the Government of Kosovo has allocated four million Euro for the Presheva Valley. I hope this serves as an example for Albania as well!
Albania and Kosovo aspire to be worthy members of the Euro-Atlantic family and are taking on their responsibilities concerning membership in the European Union and NATO. National minorities in Kosovo and among Albanians, in general, stand with us because we are respectful and responsible toward them. Kosovo and Albania believe in human rights, contribute to peace and security in the Western Balkans region and are strong supporters of Euro-Atlantic integration processes. Today, more than ever, democratic states on our continent are becoming aware of the need for both the European Union and NATO. It is no coincidence that two EU Member States, Finland and Sweden, recently decided to join the North Atlantic Alliance. In Kosovo, we are pleased that Albania is a NATO member and an EU candidate country. Kosovo has submitted its application to become an EU member and is making progress in this direction, as far as the situation allows, primarily due to Serbia’s aggressive refusal to recognize us as a state and the lack of recognition by five EU Member States. Meanwhile, NATO is present in Kosovo, but Kosovo is not yet a NATO member.
However, Kosovo is making giant strides toward NATO membership. NATO does not possess its own armament; it relies on the armament of its member states. Unlike the period of 2018-2020, when investments in armament were less than four million Euro, in the period 2021-2023, we invested over 239 million Euro in armament and ammunition. So, we cannot join NATO because we are not strong enough, but we will join because we are becoming stronger and because we will benefit from NATO as much as we will contribute to it.
The Russian aggression in Ukraine, the rekindling of conflicts in the Middle East, terrorist attacks against Kosovo, such as the one in Banjska and the recent one on the Ibër-Lepenc canal, originating from the same source, Serbia and if not Serbia alone, then Serbia and Russia together, have made Kosovo’s membership in NATO an urgent matter. The Kosovo Security Force is meeting the standards required by the Alliance, and we believe that Albania stands by our efforts to overcome the political obstacles to the Republic of Kosovo’s membership in this organization.
Since last year, this year and in the upcoming year, we have surpassed the 2% GDP criterion established at NATO’s Wales Summit a decade ago.
In both Kosovo and Albania, dear deputies and colleagues in the executive, I believe we must pay special attention to four social categories: the activism and rights of women, who double our nation; the youth, who are energetic and multilingual like no other in the Balkans; the diaspora, which is larger and more patriotic than any other in the Balkans, and the development of our villages and highlands.
In Kosovo, the average economic growth over the past four years has been the highest since we declared independence, as well as democratic advancement, fighting corruption and social progress. Furthermore, as never before, we have extended sovereignty in the north of Kosovo, ensuring territorial integrity. Today, while sporadic acts of terrorism may occur in Kosovo, there are no longer any internal sources capable of threatening our security or stability.
The terrorism of paramilitaries orchestrated and funded by Serbia is a sign of their weakness. In the past, they did not commit terrorist acts because they had complete control. Now, having lost control, they resort to terrorism, but this marks their end. Their acts of terror reflect their desperation; they signify the end of their dominance.
Distinguished attendees,
Next year, the Assemblies of the Republic of Kosovo and the Republic of Albania will be reformed based on the will expressed by citizens at the ballot box. Regardless of who the representative deputies will be, I am confident that the joint meetings of our two Assemblies will continue with the same spirit and public benefit as this very session today.
I thank the two Speakers of the Assemblies, Mrs. Spiropali and Mr. Konjufca, for organizing this meeting, the Prime Minister of Albania, Mr. Edi Rama, for his participation, the caucus leaders of parliamentary groups, the attending deputies and all of you, and I wish you a successful day ahead!
Last modified: December 27, 2024