Deputy Minister Ramadan Ilazi participated in the conference for marking the International Roma Day

He emphasized that the Republic of Kosovo is making more efforts towards the inclusion of Roma community in society and that Kosovo has marked a significant progress in this regard, compared to countries of the region.

“Kosovo is designed to serve as an area of coexistence of different identities, cultures, religion and ethnicity. The role of our state will become meaningful only when all people, regardless of their identity, will see Kosovo as their home and will be able to live free from fear and by will. Kosovo’s European integration is the process of state-building. The more our state is closer to the EU, more progress we will mark in the internal challenges of integration. Therefore, visa liberalization and SAA are Kosovar priorities and also priorities of the Roma community,” he stated.

Ilazi recalled that within this commitment, the Government adopted in December 2009 the Action Plan derived from Strategy for Integration of Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian Communities in Kosovo for 2009-2015.

He said that the main objective of this strategy is the improvement of the living conditions for these communities and creating of political, social, economic, educational and cultural conditions for creating and strengthening the identity, as well as respecting and protecting the values of these communities.

“Considering that the Strategy and Action Plan are almost completed, there is a need for a new Action Plan, for which I believe that will soon begin the preparations,” stressed Mr. Ilazi. Mr. Ilazi also said that the implementation of the Strategy for RAE community is the key to progress. “There is always room to do more, and this should and could be done only in coordination with civil society, international organizations and public institutions,” he added.

Even though the Ministry of European Integration, since March 4 of this year, does not chair the Inter-Institutional Steering Committee for the implementation of this strategy, Deputy Minister Ilazi emphasized that even in the capacity of the member, this ministry will continue its commitment towards accelerating the achievement of objectives and activities that are part of institutions and other support mechanisms