Prishtina, 5 August 2025
Last night, at the Government Building, the Acting Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, together with members of the government cabinet, welcomed numerous compatriots who are spending their holidays in Kosovo.
“This reception has become a tradition. We began in 2021 and, since then, as a government, we have made dialogue and coordination with you, our compatriots, a priority. Over these years, more than 300 gatherings have been held both inside and outside the country, bringing about substantive discussions and concrete cooperation in various fields — from the economy to dual education, from diplomacy to security — said Prime Minister Kurti in his welcoming remarks.
He wished them a warm welcome to Kosovo, a pleasant evening, and heartfelt conversations with other compatriots and with representatives of the Republic’s institutions present at the reception, noting that this event is our way of thanking them for every form of support they have given, every project they have backed, every voice they have raised in defense and affirmation of Kosovo and our people, and for everything they continue to do wherever they are.
Full speech of Prime Minister Kurti
Thank you, dear compatriots,
Welcome to your home!
Welcome to this latest gathering dedicated to the diaspora. This evening belongs to you, dear compatriots. I thank you from the heart for finding the time to join us tonight, despite the weather challenges that forced us to change the venue. Once the rain stops, we will return to the Open Balcony, although I suspect the smokers have already done so.
This reception has become a tradition. We began in 2021 and, since then, as a government, we have made dialogue and coordination with you, our compatriots, a priority. Over these years, more than 300 gatherings have been held both inside and outside the country, bringing about substantive discussions and concrete cooperation in various fields — from the economy to dual education, from diplomacy to security.
We started with “Dialogue with the Diaspora” and continued with the involvement of numerous professionals from the diaspora in our institutions. This approach, from the very beginning, has been open — as open as our hearts and minds — focusing on inclusion and two-way communication. Many of the ideas from these meetings have been turned into government programs such as Citizen Diplomacy, Made in Kosovo, Taste Kosovo, and the Week of Culture Abroad.
For example, the Citizen Diplomacy program — as also mentioned by Dua Mati, a youngster from the diaspora who returned to Kosovo — has played a key role in strengthening the connection of young professionals with the country, going beyond family ties. Today, over 50% of the participants in this program live and actively contribute in Kosovo’s institutions, the private sector, and civil society — in other words, they have returned from the diaspora. Their parents once left Kosovo for Germany and Switzerland; now they have returned from Germany and Switzerland to Kosovo.
Dear compatriots,
You represent a rare experience — living between two worlds, deeply rooted in your homeland and well-integrated into other societies. Here, I want to emphasize the role of the citizen diplomat in the 21st century, who engages with their time, talent, and wealth.
We see you as bridges that connect different yet contemporary affiliations and realities. You are 21st-century citizen diplomats — mediators, cultural translators, and builders of bridges of trust — with a key role in building an open and democratic state.
You are the voice of Kosovo in Europe and the world — in the universities, institutions, and companies where you work. You are proof that Kosovo has the will, credibility, and professionalism to be part of NATO and the European Union in this new century.
One of the most important achievements during this mandate has been addressing the voting rights of the diaspora. For the first time, our citizens abroad have been able to vote directly from the countries where they live, through embassies, consulates, or even by post. We have drafted and approved important changes to the legal framework that guarantee this fundamental right. This step is proof of our commitment to a generous Republic, with open arms, where every citizen has their voice, regardless of location.
Today, more than ever, Kosovo needs people like you — not only as guests who visit for a few days, but as partners in development and co-creators of our future. We no longer speak of a “brain drain” but of a “heart that does not forget,” because those who have built lives abroad preserve nostalgia, maintain connections, and carry the responsibility toward our shared homeland. Anyone who may be temporarily outside the homeland is eternally within the nation.
Therefore, our commitment is clear: to hear your voice, open doors for cooperation, and give you the space you want and deserve in building our future.
Dear compatriots,
We know that living between two worlds is a challenge, but in my view, it is also a rare gift. What some might consider a disadvantage is in fact an advantage — because living between two worlds has shaped you into people with broader horizons, deeper sensitivities, and greater abilities to see beyond the ordinary.
This evening is our expression of gratitude to you — for every support you have given, every project you have backed, every voice you have raised in defense and affirmation of Kosovo and our people, and for everything you continue to do wherever you are.
The diaspora is Kosovo’s spirit extended into the minds of the world. Without the words and work of our diaspora, the world would not know us as it should and as we truly are. Together, we are keeping Ujman alive to give us water; we must experience Rugova and Brezovica, uncover Ulpiana’s ancient history, unite Mitrovica, bring Tetova to Prizren and Prizren to Tetova, Gjakova to Shkodër and Shkodër to Gjakova, expand and clean the energy of Kastriot and Obiliq, and link cities with villages and production as quickly as possible. For this, we need your creativity and experience. Let’s support cultural events because they are the opportunity for our soul, strengthen our schools because they are the opportunity for our reason, and extend these as much as possible to the diaspora, because the future of the diaspora must speak Albanian — and let’s make our institutions humane and modern with your expertise.
It is time for Albanians to focus especially on engineering and the sciences.
The participation of our people in political parties in the West and in local institutions wherever they live should match the same percentage as we have in business, sports, and the arts. We must eliminate every complex of inferiority and indifference. There are no specific fields in which Albanians do not participate — Albanians must take part in every field, every discipline, every business. One thing is not up for discussion: the will of the VETËVENDOSJE government, the government that moves processes and matters, with all its capabilities, to facilitate your participation in Western societies and in life in Kosovo.
Dear compatriots, finally, as you know, we have a neighbor to the north — “a bad neighbor,” as the people say. Nevertheless, we want to have normal relations with them, but they continue to behave aggressively and try to hinder our development and destabilize our country. However, the security and intelligence institutions of the Republic of Kosovo are constantly and successfully countering them, in every corner.
Economic growth, democratic progress, social redistribution, gender and social equality, the extension of state sovereignty, the establishment of territorial and institutional integrity, overall stability, peace and security, law and order — these are evident in our Republic, in your Republic, as never before.
And precisely our successes, dear compatriots, make official Belgrade highly aggressive, because first they make it extremely nervous. Therefore, let me call on all of you here — and through you, our fellow citizens and compatriots — to avoid traveling through or transiting the territory of Serbia, due to the risk of arbitrary detentions and arrests by Serbian authorities.
This way we ensure your journeys are safe and without disturbance or mistreatment. At the same time, we deny a desperate Serbia the satisfaction of committing new brutalities.
I regret that it rained tonight — but to tell you the truth, I am also glad, not only because, as we say, “with rain comes abundance,” and the Minister of Agriculture is here — but also because if it hadn’t rained, we would all be only on the Open Balcony and perhaps wouldn’t have seen these other spaces of the Prime Minister’s Office. Here is the Hall of Extended Meetings; to the left of the corridor, when you exit, you have the Press Conference Hall, the corridor leading to the Government Meeting Room, and so on.
Once again, welcome to your home, and use this time to get to know one another, to talk with each other, and also to enjoy the locally produced food we have in the Conference Hall, as well as the pleasant music we have prepared for you. And, if the rain stops, we also have the Open Balcony on the first floor.
Thank you for all your support, assistance, and encouragement!
I wish you a pleasant evening. And for all of you eager to talk with me and take photos — I have good news: tonight, I am the host, so I’m not leaving. It’s not like those gatherings in Zurich where I have to say, “Now I have to go to Geneva,” and leave in a hurry. Tonight, there are no other events — I will be here for several hours with you; simply assess whether you can stay.
Thank you for your attention and participation — and have a wonderful, pleasant evening!
