The full speech of the Minister Çitaku:
Greetings to participants (from Japan / JICA, is Ambassador Makoto TAKETOSHI, Mrs. Mayu ITO, secretary of the embassy and Mr. Toshiya ABE, resident representative of JICA office for the Balkans.
It is an honour for MEI to attend the ceremony today, and I would like to express our sincere gratitude to the people of Japan.
Regarding coordination with Japanese official development assistance, MEI has worked closely with JICA office in the Balkans, to identify cooperation activities, since after the bilateral relations between Kosovo and Japan in 2009. Since then, it is the second aid grant which our place has received from Japan, after the delivery of waste collection trucks through the Project for Improvement of Solid Waste Management in 2012.
While our cooperation in the field of environment and development of human resources is increased, we highly appreciate the special attention of Japan, not only in development assistance, but also in the cultural sphere.
Precisely in the field of music, we have witnessed increasing cooperation between Kosovo and Japan, through the involvement of Mr. Yanagisawa, Japanese conductor in Kosovo’s Philharmonic Orchestra since 2007.
Besides this long-term relationship, the arrival and use of new musical instruments, produced in special way will prove our friendship even more, and will contribute to the development of a new generation of musicians of Kosovo in the future, and this is much appreciated by the Kosovo government.
Once again, I would like to express our government’s sincere appreciation towards Japan, and high expectations for further cooperation between Kosovo and Japan.
Thank you
Last modified: August 15, 2022
