08 December 2011, Wednesday
Ministry of Local Government Administration in cooperation with the Organization of German Government for
International Cooperation GIZ, the Project for Rural Economic Development, will organize a workshop on Cross Border Cooperation between Albania, Macedonia and Kosova.
The purpose of this roundtable is to identify developmental priorities for Cross-Border Cooperation and Regional Economic Development in the three countries, with the aim of further integration into the EU regions.
Deputy Minister of Local Government Administration, Mr. Musmurati Basri said that this year we have achieved
a great success, as regards the Cross-Border Cooperation and are signed agreements for IPA programs about
Cross-Border Cooperation with Albania and Macedonia and soon is expected even with Montenegro.
Deputy Minister, Mr. Musmurati said that Kosovo and the countries beyond its borders are too small to have development policies independent of each other and from this perspective, a continuity of the economic, social and cultural cooperation, based on a regional dimension of development policies beyond national and regional boundaries is a necessity.
From this perspective, Mr. Musmurati said that initiatives of regional development, and the cooperation between our countries should globalize and that the small dimensions of the Balkan states make the necessary that investments and policies with a regional dimension, to generate synergies and value added, which are particularly important in sectors of manufacturing, the infrastructure, transport, energy, telecommunications and environment, etc.). These are the key of our economic growth.
“The overall objective of these programs is promotion of cooperation between people, communities and institutions of border areas, with the aim achieving of good neighborly relations, the sustainable development, a stability and prosperity in the interest of the citizens of our countries," emphasized Deputy Minister Mr. Musmurati.
For the importance of Cross-Border Cooperation between Albania-Macedonia-Kosovo, has talked even the Mayor of Prizren Municipality, Mr. Ramadan Muja, and the representatives from regional countries, which participated in the workshop. In the Workshop on the Cross-Border Cooperation Albania- Macedonia -Kosova, participated senior representatives from the Government of Kosovo, Macedonia and Albania and representatives of municipalities. The initiative for organizing this joint workshop on Cross-Border Cooperation between Albania, Macedonia and Kosovo has started during the joint meetings of municipalities of Kosovo from Sharr region, the South- East region, the Pollog region from Macedonia and the region of Diber in Albania, organized in May 2011.
In this workshop are offered information about the IPA funds for Cross-Border Cooperation for the following years, as well as will be presented the best practices of the Cross-Border projects.
In particular focus, were discussions on topics about potentials for development of tourism, regional products, the National Park of Sharri Mountains, management of waste as well as fire and flood prevention.
During this event were also presented the traditional products from the regions as well as the project proposals.