Minister`s speech at the meeting with UNDP

It is my pleasure to open today`s meeting which is aimed at discussing of the common work between Kosovo`s Institutions and UNDP.

In the beginning allow me to thank UNDP for co-organizing this meeting with the purpose of discussing the progress achieved until today, but also the future steps for the coming years.

Ministry of European Integration, in its mandate has two main tasks:

1. Coordinating the process of Kosovo`s membership in the European Union; and

2. Coordination of donor`s activity in Kosovo, in harmony to the European Agenda.

These are two separated processes, but very related. Kosovo`s Membership in European Union is a strategic priority of our society. It is natural that the state’s treasury, and also the entire foreign assistance, should have as a determining factor the interests and priorities within the integration process of Kosovo.

Both processes have one purpose: a modern and European Kosovo.

Last week we have had excellent news from the European Union.

On 28th of June, the leaders of the member states of the European Union have approved the opening of negotiation for the Stabilization and Association Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Kosovo.

SAA is the first contractual agreement between the Republic of Kosovo and the European Union which provides a clear perspective towards full membership of Kosovo in European Union.

Merits in achieving this goal, of course also have the donors which have supported our country for more than a decade.

Last year, within the meeting of the High Level Forum we confirmed that around 864 million EURO`s or 70% of funds committed in the donor`s conference in 2008 were spent by relevant donors. This has been achieved despite the global financial crisis and rigid savings from our friendly countries in development of the Republic of Kosovo.

Returning concretely to today`s meeting and the work of UNDP in Kosovo, the Government of the Republic of Kosovo highly appreciates the work that UNDP is doing in Kosovo with the purpose of combating poverty and contribution in a sustainable development, including the fulfilment of the Millennium Goals.

Over the last few years UNDP has supported many important processes in Kosovo, such as: investment in human capital, creation of employment, public administration reform etc.

During the last few weeks, the Ministry of European Integration, on behalf of the Government of Kosovo, and UNDP are working in completing the Memorandum of Understanding which will further institutionalize the development of the dialogue between the two institutions, and will contribute to further harmonization of the work of UNDP with priorities of the Republic of Kosovo.

In the field of European Integration, UNDP has recently supported our institutions in exchanging experiences with the Republic of Croatia through organizing a number of seminars in Prishtina and Zagreb. Furthermore, UNDP will support the process of negotiating the Stabilization and Association Agreement between Kosovo and the European Union, through the engagement of the former Deputy Chief Negotiator of Croatia.

These are practical examples of how we can create a synergy and how the coordination of donations can be exceptionally helpful in the process of European integration.

Finally, allow me to thank you for coming and I wish you a very productive and fruitful meeting.

Thank you.