Gashi: diaspora remittances turn into investments

The Ministry of Diaspore and Strategic Investments through a media communique has announced that Zv. That Minister Dardan Gashi, on the last day of his visit to the US, has also met the director of the World Bank's Programme for Remitation and Migration, Dilip Ratha and Sonia Plaza, senior economist who was discussed with them about the possibilities of co-operation in the area of diaspora restructuring and remittances in their transformation into a model of economic and social development.

Gashi briefed the conversationators on the Diaspore and Strategic Investment Ministry projects, especially those related to strategic investments.

“We have a large diaspora distributed in Europe and the US, and the contribution of this diaspora in the form of remittances is over a billion euros annually. We see them as important partners, serious investors who can channel these remittances towards important projects in Kosovo”, Gashi said.

Senior World Bank officials informed Gashi of some programmes in which they are working, in particular the creation of funding for the diaspora, a model that has been applied since 1951 in Israel, while recently it has started applying to Nigeria.

“We can help you by offering you our experience in creating such funds, registering them, to have counseling role”, Katha stressed.

Gashi and World Bank officials agreed that at annual meetings organised by the WB, the Ministry of Diaspores and Strategic Investments will also be invited to present projects and adjacent experiences.