Norway 1.5m euros for civil society in Kosovo, Albania

Norway's Ambassador to the Republic of Kosovo and the Republic of Albania, as well as the executive director of the Kosovar Civil Society Foundation, Taulant Hoxha, through a communique, has launched the three-year Civic Society Programme for Kosovo and Albania, which was held today, on 23 October.

The purpose of this 1.5m-euro budget-funded programme is to support democratic participation and the development of a powerful civil society in Albania and Kosovo.

On October 23, 2018, Mr. Grace. Per Strand Sjaadad, Norway's ambassador to the Republic of Kosovo and Republic of Albania and executive director of the Kosovar Civil Society Foundation, Mr. Taulant Hoxha officially launched the three-year Civil Society Programme for Albania and Kosovo. With a comprehensive budget of 1.5m euros, the programme is financed by Norway's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and managed by the KCSF in partnership with partners Albania.

During the opening of the speech, the director for the Kosovo Foundation for Civil Society, Taulant Hoxha, stressed the role of civil society in the democratisation of Kosovo and Norway's multi-week support.

Addressing those present, Ambassador Sjaadstad underlined that civil society has an important supervisory position in Kosovo and Albania and is part of the control mechanisms in a powerful democracy. We are pleased that the KCSF will manage the Norwegian Fund for NGOs, the ambassador stressed, and we hope that this Fund will provide new opportunities in building a powerful, independent and community-based civil society in Kosovo and Albania, the Ambassador” wrapped up his speech.