Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti participated in an event marking the International Romani Language Day, alongside Deputy Prime Minister for Minority Affairs and Human Rights, Emilja Rexhepi.
In his speech, Prime Minister Kurti emphasized the importance of preserving the Romani language, noting that this requires commitment from individuals, society, and institutions. He expressed the government’s readiness to contribute to this cause through language use laws and institutional mechanisms for linguistic rights.
“Today, we gather again to celebrate and learn about the long history of the Romani language, which, like its survival path, is full of challenges. Language preservation is a vital process that demands the engagement of individuals, society, and institutions to assist in this process. The Government of Kosovo is always ready to contribute, through the language usage law and institutional mechanisms for linguistic rights,” said Kurti.
The Government of Kosovo, in collaboration with non-governmental organizations, has been part of organizing and hosting three regional summits against racial discrimination over the past three years. These summits have resulted in concrete recommendations for policy-making.
One recommendation from last year’s summit suggested that services be community-based, which the government developed throughout the past year by increasing educational grants by 25% for Learning Centers, through the Ministry of Education, Science, Technology, and Innovation. Additionally, a quarter of a million euros were allocated for the educational work of these Centers.
Kurti also highlighted that at the beginning of its mandate, the government established an Inter-institutional Team to promote and encourage employment among Roma, Ashkali, and Egyptian communities, leading to the opening of new job positions in various ministries.
Furthermore, the Ministry of Defense, through its “Open Days” initiative, encouraged young people from minority communities to join security institutions.
In closing, Prime Minister Kurti noted that, aside from official documents, a language must also be kept alive through daily usage. To this end, the government, through the Ministry of Culture, Youth, and Sports, supported all communities with 110,000 euros last year, while this year, the Romani community alone received 120,000 euros.
