Prishtina, 9 July 2026
Dear Acting President of the Republic of Kosovo, Ms. Albulena Haxhiu,
Dear Ms. Atifete Jahjaga, former President of the Republic of Kosovo,
Dear Ms. Justina Shiroka-Pula, President of the Kosovo Academy of Sciences and Arts,
Dear Minister of Culture and Tourism, Ms. Saranda Bogujevci,
Dear Acting Director of the National Gallery of Kosovo, Ms. Alisa Gojani Berisha,
Dear Ms. Hana Halili, curator of the exhibition,
Dear Mr. Hajrulla Çeku, Minister of Education and Science, who initiated so many good projects that Saranda will now reap all the fruits of them,
Dear Excellencies, Ambassadors and representatives of friendly countries in the Republic of Kosovo,
Dear representatives of cultural institutions,
Dear artists and art enthusiasts,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Distinguished guests,
Today we have gathered to mark an important moment for the culture of the Republic of Kosovo: the reopening of the National Gallery of Kosovo, the central institution of visual arts in our country.
This reopening marks the completion of a renovation process. It is evidence of a clear conviction that culture cannot develop without adequate infrastructure, just as art cannot be preserved, presented and developed without suitable spaces for creation, exhibition and conservation.
This investment of more than €1.6 million is proof that building and modernizing the infrastructure of the cultural sector is not a luxury but a necessity. Projects of this kind require time, planning and dedication, and therefore the road to their implementation may often seem long. Nevertheless, the time invested in creating sustainable spaces for culture is time invested in the future of the country. One could say that we have not lost time, but rather gained space for a long time to come.
Cultural facilities are not built only for the needs of today. They are built for future generations, for the artists of tomorrow, for the preservation of our collective memory and for a society that sees culture as part of its development. Therefore, every capital investment in cultural infrastructure is a long-term investment in the identity, education and development of the Republic of Kosovo.
For many years, our cultural institutions have borne the burden of insufficient investment in buildings, storage facilities, technical systems and professional conditions necessary for preserving our cultural heritage. Therefore, investment in the National Gallery is not merely an investment in a building; it is an investment in our collective memory, in our artists and in the generations that will come after us.
The renovation project included a comprehensive improvement of the Gallery’s infrastructure, creating contemporary conditions for the exhibition, preservation and management of the collection. An important component of this transformation is the addition of approximately 400 square meters of new storage space, built in accordance with international standards for the conservation and preservation of works of art, thereby strengthening the institutional capacities for safeguarding and enriching our State Collection.
Through capital investments in culture, we are jointly creating better conditions for the work of professionals in the field, establishing safer spaces for state collections and enabling our public to have access to modern institutions that are both open and functional.
Culture is not a luxury. It is part of the social, economic and democratic development of the country. A state that invests in culture invests in its knowledge, creativity and identity.
Therefore, our commitment to strengthening cultural infrastructure will continue. The National Gallery is an example of this vision. Today it returns with better conditions, expanded capacities and greater opportunities to preserve, study and present the art of Kosovo.
I would like to thank the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the team of the National Gallery, the professionals, engineers, workers and everyone who contributed to the implementation of this project. This is the result of quiet and determined joint work and of the belief that public institutions can be built to high standards.
I hope that this renovated gallery will be a vibrant space for dialogue, passion, joy, reflection and creativity; a place where art meets the public and where culture continues to build the strongest bridges between people. As we have often said together with the former Minister of Culture, now Minister of Education, our greatest effort is to make culture more artistic and, at the same time, to make art more cultural. Therefore, this is the right place to offer the principal congratulation — on the reopening of the National Gallery of Kosovo — and to wish all artists and art lovers ever greater success in this new chapter that we are beginning tonight.
Thank you!