Davos, 19 janar 2024

Kryeministri i Republikës së Kosovës, Albin Kurti, ditën e djeshme, mbajti fjalën hyrëse në panelin e diskutimit “Përputhja e financave me nevojat” organizuar në kuadër të Forumit Ekonomik Botëror në Davos, e ku mori pjesë së bashku me Sekretarin e Punëve të Jashtme të Mbretërisë së Bashkuar, David Cameron, Ministren e Ekonomisë dhe Financave të Marokut, Nadia Fettah Alaoui, Ministrin e Jashtëm të Norvegjisë, Espen Barth Aide, ish-Sekretarin për Punë të Jashtme të Britanisë, David Milliband, përfaqësuesin e Bankës Botërore, Juergen Voegele dhe ekonomisten Vera Songwe.

Në fjalën e tij hyrëse, kryeministri Kurti tha se Kosova është një histori suksesi, e një vend që e ka ndërtuar veten në një demokraci edhe me ndihmën e miqve ndërkombëtarë, mesazh ky që u fuqizua edhe nga pjesëmarrësit e tjerë të nivelit të lartë në panel, si Sekretari David Cameron dhe Ministri Barth Aide. Gjithashtu të pranishmit uruan me entuziazëm përparimin e Kosovës.

Kryeministri shtoi se sidomos në vitet e fundit, vendi ynë ka treguar se progresi ekonomik dhe demokratik ecin krah për krah, duke theksuar se qëndrueshmëria është thelbësore për sukses të vazhdueshëm dhe stabilitet institucional.

“Një vend përparon kur progresi ndihet nga qytetarët dhe kjo kombinohet me stabilitetin institucional. Pra, stabiliteti institucional qëndron më lart se stabiliteti politik dhe mundëson përparimin dhe qëndrueshmërinë e një progresi të tillë.” tha kryeministri Kurti, duke potencuar se reformat demokratike të Kosovës janë të dokumentuara edhe ndërkombëtarisht.

Ai veçoi rolin e ndihmës për nxitjen e demokracive duke theksuar gjithashtu rëndësinë e një qeverisjeje demokratike lokale në mënyrë që kjo ndihmë të mbërrijë sa më shumë tek qytetarët. Theksoi dhe se si kombinimi i të dyjave do të jetë shtytës në tranzicione të rëndësishme për vendin, si investimet e gjelbra dhe rritja e mëtejshme.

Në përfundim të fjalës së tij, kryeministri tha se “Tre kategori të popullsisë po ndërtojnë progresin në vendin tonë: gratë, të rinjtë dhe punëtorët. Në të tri këto kategori, diaspora është gjithnjë e pranishme edhe me remitancat e së fundmi edhe me investimet e saj në ekonominë tonë.”

Fjala e plotë hyrëse e kryeministrit Kurti, në gjuhën angleze:

Thank you, Sara. I’m honored to be among distinguished friends of Kosova — UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron, and former Foreign Secretary David Miliband — whose support for us stretches back for many years.

Kosova is a success story, a country that has built itself into a democracy with the help of international friends. Today, there is much skepticism about whether a country can change its course for the better, and if the help of others matters. In these times, it is good to be reminded of a country that makes the case for a world that cares.

As you Sara have pointed out, Kosova has come a long way since genocide and war, emerging as an upper-middle-income country with a strong democracy. Especially in the past few years, our country has demonstrated the fundamental truth that economic and democratic progress go hand-in-hand. This is not because we haven’t seen one happen without the other, but we haven’t seen one do so sustainably. I believe this is one of the most important lessons that Kosova can offer. Help is best allocated when you help yourself as well. The success of aid hinges on the interplay between the democracy of the country and collaboration with foreign actors.

Kosova’s democratic reforms have been internationally acknowledged. We’ve improved 20 places in Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index and 22 places in Reporters Without Borders’ Media Freedom Index. At the same time our economy advanced. In the last three years, our budget increased by 35%, primarily benefiting the most disadvantaged citizens. Among other initiatives, we’ve introduced child-care subsidies, made public higher education free of charge and improved housing conditions for ethnic minority communities and those in need across the board. According to the World Bank, Kosova has provided the most generous aid package in the Western Balkans, as a percentage of GDP, to help citizens cope with the inflation. FDI and exports have doubled in the past three years, while our trade deficit has shrunk by a third. Since 2021, our budget surge is largely driven by a two-thirds increase in tax revenues, without changes in fiscal policy.

None of this would have been possible without the democratic progress I mentioned previously. One’s successful fight against corruption means that wealthy individuals and businesses can no longer evade taxes, the rest of the population believes their taxes will be returned with greater benefits and foreign companies know that a transparent government is the best deal a company can get.

One country is progressing when the progress is felt from its citizens and this is combined with institutional stability. So, institutional stability stands higher than political stability and enables progress and endurance of such progress.

Our country received vital international aid in the past 25 years, enabling me to share this story about Kosova today. And the effectiveness of this investment will be what elevates our country to consistently scoring among metrics along EU 27. To reach the next stage, we need the right intentions, transparent implementation, and help. Here is where democracy works. This is also where foreign investment fosters it, to the benefit of all.

The marriage between a country’s bona fide democratic drive and foreign investment is important for the goals we all share. Last week, 2023 was officially confirmed as the warmest year on record. This is one area in which external finance has a significant role to play going forward, in Kosova as in other countries.

Our country is relatively small in surface area — roughly 11,000 square kilometers, but it sits on one of the largest lignite reserves in the world: the fifth-largest globally and the third-largest in Europe. Nonetheless, our government is committed to a highly ambitious green agenda. We are in the midst of conducting our inaugural 100 MW Solar Auction, and we’ve attracted private-sector investments in the renewable-energy sector. We’ve also provided significant energy-efficiency subsidies to our citizens over the past two years, rewarding those who save, leading to lower energy demand and reduced emissions.

But we can and must do more, in close partnership with international financial partners. This is especially the case with green infrastructure projects. One important such project is a planned railway line linking Kosova’s capital city of Prishtina to the nearest port, located in Durrës, Albania. According to statistics, 30% of goods arriving to the port are destined for Kosova. Currently, all goods have to be transported exclusively via motorway. A railway will greatly reduce emissions and we need to rely at least partially on external financing to accomplish this.

September last year, in Crete, in Greece we won the bidding for Mediterranean Games 2030. For the first time a landlocked country is about to organize Mediterranean Games. 26 states will participate with their national teams and we are organizing Prishtina 2030 Mediterranean Games together with six other municipalities in Kosova and Durrës in Albania, precisely the port with which we want to build this railway.

However, something intended to eventually benefit the people must reach them before the finalization of large-scale projects. In Kosova daily life is shaped by a predominantly young and entrepreneurial population. It is crucial that individuals are given space to create, building immediate opportunities for them, particularly when these chances have not been previously afforded to them in the existing system. This sentiment, for instance, is shared by many women who rightfully feel that the world, and the workforce, have not been designed for them.

Three categories of the population are building the progress in our country: women, youth and workers. But, in all of these three categories, diaspora is also ever present with its remittances and recently its investments in our economy.

My last point is that, fine governance is about combining industry whose drive is expansion with finances whose drive is profit. We need both of them in a very fine governance of good intentions and transparent operations.

Once again, thank you to you Sara and I look forward to the panel discussion.