Prishtina, 4 December 2025
Dear Ambassador of Germany to Kosova, Your Excellency Rainer Rudolph,
Dear Director of the Financial Intelligence Unit of Kosova, Mr. Genc Rraci,
Dear Co-Head of the Egmont Group Europe Region II, Ms. Michaela Schütz,
Dear leaders and representatives of the Financial Intelligence Units of the Egmont Group Europe Region II,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Good morning to all.
On behalf of the Government of the Republic of Kosova let me express my appreciation for undertaking initiatives such as regional meetings of Financial Intelligence Units in the framework of the Egmont Group.
This continues an important step forward in Kosova’s efforts to strengthen security and stability in the financial system and to fight illegal financial activities. Furthermore, let me take this opportunity to thank all of our international partners, especially the Egmont Group and GIZ, for the support they have provided for this event.
The organization of this event is fully in line with our government program and our goals for European integration and integration into other international mechanisms.
Our aim is the strengthening of international and national cooperation to support and coordinate the response of all actors in Kosova. We are doing this together in order to fight money laundering and terrorist financing, by optimizing collective capacities to prevent, identify, and fight economic crime.
Strengthening cooperation with countries in the region and increasing international financial intelligence exchange — with the aim of preventing and uncovering money laundering, related criminal conduct, and terrorist financing, as well as the confiscation of income generated from crime — are among the strategic aims of the Government of the Republic of Kosova.
In today’s globalized world we are faced with an increasing number of dangers and challenges that flow from organized crime and financial crimes that attempt to exploit gaps in the international regime for preventing and fighting against illicit financing. Therefore, bringing together the objectives and efforts of the Government with those of other actors will aid us in the effective identification of threats and systematic weaknesses and in the strengthening of our responses directed at their mitigation.
These efforts make possible increased cohesiveness and coordination in preventing and fighting criminal and terrorist activity by blocking the flow of illegal profits and weakening the global influence of terrorist and criminal organizations.
Already, we have seen concrete results in identification, freezing, sequestration, and confiscation relating to money laundering, related criminal conduct, and terrorist financing. Kosova will continue to provide maximum engagement and cooperation in securing information and constructive aid in a timely fashion, whenever this is requested by other countries.
We are continuously building sustainable mechanisms for cooperation in strengthening measures for preventing and fighting money laundering, terrorist financing, and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.
Kosova has made considerable progress in reinforcing its legal and institutional framework in the area, with the aim of fighting these phenomena and harmonizing itself with European and international standards, as well as their effective enforcement. This approach further strengthens our cooperation, cohesiveness, and coordination. The Financial Intelligence Unit of the Republic of Kosova has performed well and has achieved satisfactory results in the identification and tracking of illegal financial income. The Government of the Republic of Kosova remains committed in its support for the FIU and other authorities in fighting these criminal activities.
According to the European Union Country Report for Kosova 2025, Kosova has made progress in the fight against money laundering. We have approved legislative changes in compliance with international standards and the EU Directives for preventing and fighting money laundering, identifying asset profits, executing targeted international financial sanctions, and crypto-assets.
Transparency International’s reports in recent years have highlighted that Kosova has achieved progress in fighting and reducing levels of corruption. According to this report we have made progress in the Corruption Perceptions Index.
In the Global Organized Crime Index, our country has made significant progress in fighting organized crime, ranking among the countries with the lowest level of organized crime in the Western Balkans. Compared to reports from previous years, Kosova has achieved progress in this area, improving by 19 places in the global index published in 2023.
At the same time, the Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime (GI-TOC), in the Global Organized Crime Index of 2025, rates Kosova as having the lowest level of criminality in the region. And this has helped us a great deal in one hand to turn anti-corruption into economic growth, freedom of citizens and to development, but also for citizens and families to feel safe and secure.
These successes demonstrate our continuous work and efforts in the fight against criminal activity, as well as Kosova’s commitment to European integration.
In conclusion, let me once again express our unreserved support for the effective fight against money laundering, the informal economy, and other financial crimes.
I wish all of you success in your work and express my readiness to support initiatives like this whenever they are needed, as an opportunity to discuss cooperative steps necessary for ensuring success in the fight against these negative phenomena.
Thank you!
