It is held the meeting regarding local actions plans for integration of Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian communities in Kosovo – See more at: https://mei-ks.net/en/lajmet-mei/it-is-held-the-meeting-regarding-local-actions-plans-for-integration-of-roma-ashkali-and-egyptian-communities-in-kosovo#sthash.W4RO1pWn.dpuf

Minister Çitaku, as the Chair of the Inter-institutional Steering Committee for implementation of the Strategy and Action Plan for integration of the Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian communities, thanked OSCE for its role and commitment in general, as well as for the contribution in promoting and supporting full integration of communities in Kosovo.

Within this role, Minister Çitaku stated: “the support that OSCE has provided and continues to provide in drafting and re-drafting the Local Action Plans for integration of Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian communities, is of  highly appreciation.”

Further on, on her speech, Minister Çitaku also added:

Honored attendees,

I have said it before but I must say it again, the Republic of Kosovo is committed to build a multi-ethnic country. As part of this commitment, in December of 2009, the Government has adopted the Action Plan for 2009-2015 emerging from the Strategy for integration of the Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian communities.

The government of Kosovo, taking into consideration the need to accelerate the commitment regarding the implementation of the Strategy and integration of Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian communities, as of May 2013, through a decision, has decided that the Ministry of European Integration shall  bare the role of leading the Inter-institutional Steering Committee.

During this period, aiming full functioning of the Inter-institutional Steering Committee, based on its mandate, it is increased the level of coordination of work and activities to a much more satisfactory level, through regular communication with line ministries, Kosovo municipalities and with the Office of Good Governance.

During the last months, we have made significant steeps toward accelerating the achievement of objectives and activities which are part of institutions and other supporting mechanisms.

“Local Assessment” for the level of implementing the Strategy and Action Plan, which as such is implemented for the first time in Kosovo, has revealed the achievements, challenges and shortcomings in the implementation of Action Plan indicators.

We have already identified several necessary steeps to accelerate the implementation of the objectives of the Action Plan and we aim to implement this through budgeting activities of the strategy which is among key problems challenging the progress in the implementation of the strategy, whereas, I`m addressing this issue as a priority,

Regarding the meetings of the Inter-institutional Steering Committee, it is managed to conduct two meetings through which is achieved to increase the level of inter-institutional cooperation with the line ministries and a range of decisions have been issued and important conclusions have been made.

In the last meeting of the Steering Committee, we have adopted the Priority Framework 2014-2015 where all of the activities, which the line Ministries will conducts in the following two years period, are reflected. The supporting team of the Steering committee has already started the process of monitoring the framework for the upcoming period.

Honored,

I`m not saying these words randomly, but I reiterate my commitment and the commitment of the Ministry I lead for the involvement and inclusion of the concerned communities.

I must say, the Government of Kosovo has marked significant progress in comparison to the countries of the region and several western European countries.

This makes me feel good but not satisfied with the achievements so far. There is still work to bee done and this makes me work even more to approximate and respect the rights of every citizen living in the Republic of Kosovo.

What is important to be mentioned regarding the cooperation between central and local level, I want to inform you, that I recently have started to visit all of the Municipalities of the Republic of Kosovo, which is something that during my mandate, I have consistently done. The main reason for this, is to closely know the challenges or the achievements in the local level regarding communities. I’ve always said that Kosovo’s European integration is not done in Brussels, Paris or London, but is done here among us, in every village and city, in every municipality and every community.

Honored,

Implementation of the strategy is the key of the success; therefore we jointly should be part of the progress. There is always space to do more and we shall and will do this only in full coordination with the civil society, international organizations and the Office for Good Governance.

Kosovo is still geographically small, but it has a big heart and there is space for all of its citizens to live free, to have their rights guaranteed and to pursue their happiness without any difference,