Prishtina, 12 February 2026
Honorable Deputy Prime Ministers, ministers of the government cabinet,
Honorable employees of the media and the prime minister’s office,
Dear citizens,
Welcome to the first meeting of our new government, which according to protocol should have been ceremonial, but which out of necessity today, we are also turning into a working one.
Welcome to this decision-making table, you new members of the government cabinet:
- Glauk Konjufca, First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora;
- Andin Hoti, Minister of Labour, Family and Liberation War Values;
- Lulëzon Jagxhiu, Minister of Digitalization and Public Administration;
- Saranda Bogujevci, Minister of Culture and Tourism;
- Fitore Pacolli, Minister of Environment and Spatial Planning;
- Mimoza Kusari, Minister of Industry, Entrepreneurship, Trade and Innovation;
- Blerim Gashani, Minister of Sport and Youth;
- Dimal Basha, Minister of Infrastructure and Transport;
- Armend Muja, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Development; and
- Rasim Demiri, Minister for Regional Development.
Serving the Republic and its citizens with work and diligence, honor and dedication, is the greatest privilege that you will have and enjoy from these seats here and from your offices.
The lessons we have learned during the past mandate and the experience we have gained, together with your expertise and professional knowledge, make me believe that this cabinet has all the prerequisites to be the most successful government cabinet in the new history of our Republic, which will soon turn 18 years old.
I congratulate each and every one of you on your appointment. The expectations that citizens have of us are a testament to the very standard we have set, which we must honor and fulfill every day.
We have gathered on the very first day of work to approve a list of international agreements that have been awaiting approval in the assembly for a long time. In November last year, the Assembly of the Republic was dissolved without voting on the European Union Growth Plan worth 882.6 million euros and three agreements with the World Bank worth over 120 million euros, risking the benefits from them. With the assembly of the 10th legislature constituted yesterday and with your vote today, we are giving the country another opportunity to ratify these international agreements in the Assembly.
And today, we are re-processing in the Assembly the Draft Budget Law for 2026, which we had approved in the meeting of 31 October last year. Not wanting to repeat all the details presented in that meeting, I am focusing only on a few brief points that characterize this budget:
- It is a budget worth 4 billion euros, where 867 million euros are foreseen for the municipalities of Kosovo.
- It also contains the 13th salary for public sector workers paid from the budget, a salary which will be paid as soon as the Budget Law enters into force.
- It also contains the necessary change, which enables the increase of the allowance for work experience from 0.25 percent to 0.50 percent for the first 15 years. Thus, a doubling of the allowance that reflects work experience.
- Also, the budget foresees the postponement of the deadline for the implementation of the progressive property tax rate, so that in the meantime we can approve the new Law on Property Tax in consultation with the municipalities of our country.
And after the constitution of the Assembly and the election of the Government last night, we are now in the third step: the voting of the 2026 budget and the international agreements. As soon as these are completed, I am ready to start contacts and discussions with other political entities from tomorrow regarding the issue of the President.
As a government cabinet, we will see each other very soon in the next meetings, in the regular meetings of our Government, where we will fulfill our commitments one by one, starting with the first five decisions we have pledged to our citizens, and we begin the decision on them precisely with this meeting today.
Without losing a single minute, therefore, let us proceed with the agenda items and continue with the good work.
May good fortune lead you and lead us all together.
