Prishtina, 15 May, 2023
In the prime minister’s office, today the next coordinating meeting between the members of the governing cabinet is taking place, led by the Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo, Albin Kurti and the mayors of the Municipalities of the Republic of Kosovo, with the aim of deepening cooperation and further expanding communication between the level central and local.
Below you can find the opening speech of Prime Minister Kurti:
Dear Ministers,
Dear mayors of Kosovo municipalities,
Dear Chairman of the Association of Municipalities of Kosovo, Mr. Agim Aliu,
Dear Deputy Ministers and Vice Majors,
It is good that we are meeting in the fourth meeting of this format, and in the fifth if we also count the thematic meeting on energy efficiency, which we held recently, on April 6 of this year.
A special welcome to the newly elected mayors of the municipalities in the north of the country, who are joining us for the first time.
The coordination meetings between the central and local level are the meetings where there are the most representatives of citizens, and therefore the topics that are addressed are the most useful and focus on improving the lives of our citizens.
In addition to cooperation in the field of the environment, within the framework of the “Green and Sustainable Municipality Charter” and that of energy efficiency, within the 75 million euro package to deal with the energy crisis, let me emphasize that it is good news for the entire candidacy of our country for the organization of the 2030 Mediterranean Games.
Such an event, in addition to being a good opportunity to improve public infrastructure, presents an ideal platform for the affirmation of our state in the international arena. For this reason, the Mediterranean Games are not only a project of the sports sector. They should be seen as a state development project and mobility for our youth.
The concept of organizing these games in Kosovo foresees the extension of the organization throughout the territory of Kosovo, including investment and mobilization in many municipalities, with special emphasis on the seven largest municipalities in the country.
In the following days, the coordinating team of Kosovo’s candidacy will contact you and inform you more about the concept and other details related to the project.
The last time we met to discuss a specific topic, that of renewable energy, while today the Association of Municipalities has listed several topics, which are important for the local level; from property tax, properties administered by the Kosovo Privatization Agency and the Forestry Agency, to the municipal budget and public service recruitment procedures.
For all these, of course, and for other similar topics, I am here today together with the Minister of Local Government Administration, Elbert Krasniqi, the Minister of Finance, Labor and Transfers, Hekuran Murat, the Minister of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation, Arbërie Nagavci, the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Development, Faton Peci, and the Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs, Bardhyl Dobrë, to talk and discuss towards solutions.
Before I pass it on to the Chairman of the Association of Municipalities of Kosovo, Mr. Agim Aliu, allow me to remind you that three weeks ago, the Grants Commission held an important meeting, in which the allocation of grants to municipalities for the period 2024-2026 was approved. The general municipal budget for the next year reaches the value of 742 million euros, which is almost 200 million euros more budget for municipalities during this government than the previous one. Which means that the local government has the attention of the central level, but also the finances, which are waiting to be realized through a cooperation between all of us.
Thank you, and the floor is for you, Chairman Aliu!
Last modified: May 15, 2023