The first joint meeting between the government of Albania and Kosovo was
held today in Prizren. Kosovo Prime Minister, Hashim Thaci, declared
that this is an important moment for starting the future close
cooperation.
“I believe that our experts will work together for reviewing our agreements and deepening our cooperation. The purpose of this meeting was implementing the former agreements and reinforcing our cooperation”, Thaci declared, underlining that the commercial relations between our two countries must be strong.
Thaci underlined that Rruga e Kombit should be more efficient for transportation of people and goods, and the construction of the inter-connection power line is of great importance.
“There is political will in Prishtina and Tirana for our relations to be a role model in the entire region”, Thaci declared.
Rama: Support for the Presheva Albanians
The Albanian Prime Minister, Edi Rama, declared that this initiative is the start of a joint institutional cooperation for developing Albania and Kosovo, reinforcing the economy, deepening the cooperation and enriching the cultural life of both countries.
Rama underlined that the border between Albania and Kosovo is very clear and unchangeable.
“The new cooperation path that we are inaugurating toady should go beyond our mandates. The new perspectives and changes should be there for both countries. There are 15 concrete cooperation perspectives, the first steps of which will be taken in this historic meeting. A special importance will be given to the rights of the Albanian people outside our official borders. This meeting includes a welcome gesture in support of the Presheva Albanians. It shows the support of both Albanian governments for the minorities abroad”, Rama declared.
Several agreements signed
Both governments continued their meeting in the house of the Prizren League, where they signed the document for strategic cooperation between Kosovo and Albania, which aims to ease commerce, transportation and infrastructure cooperation, and for deepening the cooperation for the European integration.
Both Prime Ministers gave a joint press release for the media, in which Thaci considered this meeting as successful, and declared that Rama’s initiative was very efficient.
“Our final goal in the foreign policy and security is reinforcing dialogue and making Kosovo a member of the UN, European Union and NATO”, Thaci declared.
As for the relations with Serbia, Thaci declared that there will be more cooperation for intensifying the dialogue with the northern neighbor, and declared that the main goal remains increasing the number of Kosovo’s independence recognitions in the international area.
Rama declared that the first meeting was the laying of the economic cooperation foundations in the foreign policy, internal affairs, economy, education and culture. Rama also underlined the importance of establishing a development fund for helping the Presheva Valley Albanians.
Rama government travels to Prizren on a bus
The Albanian government used a bus to go to Prizren, and the Albanian Deputy Prime Minister, Niko Peleshi, declared that this is a new chapter in the relations with Kosovo.
“A series of important agreements will be signed today for the economic and commercial sectors, which will be followed by other cooperations with our strategic partners. Not by chance it starts with Kosovo, a meeting of two governments that belong to the same nation”, Peleshi declared.
The Prime Minister of Kosovo, Hashim Thaci, declared that the Prizren meeting marks the beginning of our strategic joint governance, with an euro-Atlantic integration vision. The Kosovo Prime Minister declared that this sends a European message to all the region, with open borders and without barriers from the past.
Bexhet Pacolli on Top Channel about the idea of Arben Xhaferri,
The meeting is an old idea started by the late Arben Xhaferri, and has been reiterated by Bexhet Pacolli during his speech in the Albanian Parliament as President of Kosovo. Pacolli gave a live interview on Top Channel’s news edition one day before the meeting.
Ilir Paco: As president of Kosovo, you brought the idea of a joint government meeting on March 2011, a concept created by Arben Xhaferri. Do you feel today that this idea is being realized?
Behxhet Pacolli: I was happy from the moment that I heard about this meeting. I want to thank the Prime Ministers of Albania and Kosovo. The conditions are now ripe for an Albanian economic cooperation, and this is the reality. Arben Xhaferri was an important inspiration for me.
Ilir Paço: By following these days in the media the idea formulated by an intellectual as Arben Xhaferri, I believe you have attached a wider vision to it. How do you see the meeting in Prizren concretely, and how do you think it should continue after?
Behxhet Pacolli: Today we had an organizational meeting. It is an important step and I believe it will not be the only one, but very soon we will discuss concrete topics in a near future, and the dream will come true for having Albania and Kosovo united economically, with joint railways, a joint energy system and in a near future, a joint insurance for all Albanians.
Top Channel
