Prishtina, 18 May, 2023
In the building of the Government of the Republic of Kosovo, the First Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration, Development and Dialogue of the Republic of Kosovo, Besnik Bislimi, was organized the annual meeting with Sweden. The Swedish delegation was headed by the ambassador of Sweden in Kosovo, Jonas Westerlund. Meanwhile, the Kosovo delegation, headed by Deputy Prime Minister Bislimi, also consisted of the Minister of Finance, Labor and Transfers, Hekuran Murati, the Minister of Local Government Administration, Elbert Krasniqi and the Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports, Hajrullah Çeku.
Cooperation with the state of Sweden and joint projects were the focus of this meeting, where existing projects and forms for deepening relations between our two countries were reviewed and discussed.
Deputy Prime Minister Bislimi thanked the Swedish Government and the Swedish people for the continuous help and support for Kosovo in many processes.
Today we will have the opportunity to reflect on the achievements so far and we will discuss the challenges we have faced during implementation. I want to reiterate that the Government of Kosovo highly appreciates the fact that the aid received from our partners is coordinated, to achieve the maximum impact, focusing this aid on projects within the areas identified as priorities for the development of the country”, said Deputy Prime Minister Bislimi.
Below is the complete opening speech of Deputy Prime Minister Bislimi:
Dear Ambassador Westerlund,
Dear Ministers,
Dear participants,
It is my pleasure and honor to open the annual meeting between Sweden and Kosovo for the second time. This meeting is of special importance, because it is discussed about a kind of reform cooperation in the space of Sweden’s support for Kosovo in socio-economic reforms, inclusion efforts and EU integration reforms.
Sweden’s work in Kosovo is based on Sweden’s reform cooperation strategy with the Western Balkans and Turkey, 2021-2027. I thank the Swedish Government and the Swedish people for the continuous help and support for Kosovo in many processes. A special thanks also goes to your embassy staff for their excellent work on all projects.
Today we will have the opportunity to reflect on the achievements so far and discuss the challenges we have faced during implementation. I want to reiterate that The Government of Kosovo highly appreciates the fact that the aid received from our partners is coordinated, to achieve the maximum impact, focusing this aid on projects within the areas identified as priorities for the country’s development.
Since last year, at our last meeting, we have made great strides forward in the programming of bilateral and EU development assistance, with more ownership by the Government, as well as clearly defining our priorities through the adaptation of the Strategy National Development Plan 2030.
The SKZ is the main long-term strategic document, which serves as a mechanism for the implementation of reforms through the identification of strategic and development priorities and goals.
This document also serves as a platform or point of reference for every institution of the Government of Kosovo in dialogue with development partners in the orientation of the partners’ intervention towards the needs of the country.
It is also worth noting that we have applied for membership in the EU and in our efforts towards obtaining the status of a candidate country we have approved the National Program for European Integration 2023-2027. This document is the main one related to reforms in the EU integration process.
The European agenda has had a high priority for the Government since the beginning, while the reforms have been related to the main strategic planning documents. The implementation of the National Program for the Implementation of the SAA and the European Reforms Agenda II is continuing dynamically, increasing the responsibility of each line institution.
Last year we also worked intensively on the visa liberalization process, which has already been successfully completed and visa-free travel awaits our citizens starting from January 1. We also applied for membership in the Council of Europe and we have already passed the first step. Moreover, we have signed and ratified three documents from the mobility agreements of the Berlin Process where Kosovo is treated as an equal party. We have been preparing and negotiating projects with the European Commission where so far we have signed international financing agreements for IPA 2021, 2022, 2023, which have a value of more than 200 million euros, while IPA 2024 and WBIF are in preparation above.
Regarding donor coordination, we are drafting/amending the legal framework and working on the electronic donation registration platform, as well as working on other aspects that focus on harmonizing and making the best use of the funding we receive from friends and stable partners.
Finally, let me repeat that the Government of the Republic of Kosovo continues to work for an inclusive society with opportunities for all. In this context, we highly appreciate the support we have received so far, which was aimed at advancing human rights, guaranteeing equality and strengthening institutional mechanisms.
Now I take the opportunity to invite all participants from our institutions to present their point of view regarding the implementation of projects supported by the Swedish Government and to discuss the opportunities we have to strengthen and intensify our cooperation.
Thank you!
Last modified: May 19, 2023