Ten years after independence, Kosovo faces numerous challenges

Kosovo over ten years as a state has scored achieved, but there are many challenges to itself. So said the international conference “The celebration of the 10th anniversary of independence: The achievements and aspirations”, organised by the Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kosovo.

Rayhan Vunqi, deputy minister of MPJ, said the country's institutions are working to develop many domestic governance areas.

We set out to open embassies in many parts of the world. We are working to develop many areas of domestic governance, health, tourism, agriculture and security. As a point of interest, Kosovo today has numerous possibilities for developing tourism and mining. Our legal system offers full protection for direct investment. Kosovo is an honor to the new Balkan states. Kosovo has received 116 recognitions as an independent state. The path to independence has been complicated... our country is facing difficulties in achieving global accession like China and Russia. We have faced barriers to recognition by several organizations. The country faces many obstacles, and as a result the people appreciate and recognise the value of peace and harmony”, she said.

Meanwhile Abdulselim Shkodra, deputy minister of MPB, said that the 10th anniversary of independence, finds the state of Kosovo in a varied view of the achievements and challenges it currently faces.

He said that over the ten years Kosovo has become a member of many organisations and that it has proved to be a responsible state, with constructive approaches to building peace to regional stability and development. Shkodra says the state of Kosovo has noted tangible progress over the ten years, but not bypassing the challenges it has been through and which it continues to face further.

“Kosovo continues to have limited extension of authority in the northern part of Kosovo. It keeps getting stuck in law enforcement. He still faces a lack of cadrovic capacity. There are still deep economic structural problems. High unemployment, corruption and organised crime. Low quality in education as well as other phenomena. Kosovo, especially in recent months, has been seriously challenged to maintain partnership with allies due to processes related to the special court. Maintaining partnership with international partners is vital for the state of Kosovo”, he said.

Meanwhile, KSF Deputy Minister Burim Ramadani said Kosovo does not intend to be militarily neutral and that transforming KSF into armed forces should serve a step further on the road towards NATO.

“We are not and do not intend to be militarily neutral. Second, we want as soon as we join NATO and at the same time as NATO, to continue to stay in Kosovo. Third, we are in intensive and extremely dynamic process of transforming efforts The KSF in the Kosovo Armed Forces, based on the revision of the strategic sector, which took place years ago. And also based on a comprehensive and cooperative approach with the main goal that constitutional and legal changes, for achieving consolidation of the security sector and the defence sector. And ultimately we aim to achieve the phase of dialogue for NATO membership in the coming years”, he said.