Rama wants EU measures removed: Money blocked for the Concertal Hall of the Art Museum

Pristina Mayor Progress Rama, in an interview for Online Economy, said he hopes the EU-set measures towards Kosovo will be removed as soon as possible. This, according to him, is unable to help that the EU has promised worth about 200m euros for the construction of the Concertal Hall and Art Museum.

Rama has cited projects that will begin in 2024, which he said are all good for citizens.

“Viti 2024 is planned with a large number of major projects, so we have the subpass from behind the theater to the municipality, where we have the underpass that will connect the green market to the square. We also have the green market project, so where we make the move to the area where the AKP area was. We have a platform project that connects Arberia with the Youth Palace, only that we have carried out a major project for subpassing flag to bus station”.

We're now only at the end of the final project for the Concertal Hall and the Art Museum. Unfortunately, Kosovo is under measures and we pray that as soon as I have the opportunity for Kosovo not to be a mother of the measures because it is related even to a fund of 15 to 20m euros, promised by the EU to help us build this monument building of enormous importance for art and culture in capital”, he said.

He has asked the Kosovo government not to block the work and projects of the capital, calling for co-operation where the executive can help. Rama has said that the government has no priority to assist the Pristina municipality, according to the province's allocation of more funds for the Entity municipality than for the capital.

Mayor Rama has said that in 2023 it has become much more than last year, adding that he has much work to do.

“It is the task of the opposition with the follow-up criticism, and they are always welcome to constructive criticism. We've just been able to see for ourselves that we've done a lot of work in the capital, and we're still doing great work in the capital. All we're looking for is not to block us with blockades that are puo-party and unnecessary, like the aspect of the road, or Jim Xhem, where we also had the opportunity to continue and don't block us by taking it too late at the end of the year, because that leaves us a very small window where we can use the funds that are ours, are the capital”.

We've spent and created a lot more than last year, so we have tangible improvement from last year, but have we achieved what we absolutely want not. We have a lot of work to do, for this reason I ask the central level to be more cooperative so at these points where they can help, not with the block, so like the conveyance, don't make me unnecessary stop projects that are large for the good of the capital, for the sake of the liberation of traffic, that's the chaos we've had over the years that we're being able to do on the basis of multiple projects to improve the state of the capital<1> he said.

Rama voiced confidence that he will be remembered as the mayor who has restored the citizens' trust. He said the capital would become a uniquely characterised country in the world, with a wonderful motion where citizens would have the opportunity to live a good and healthy life.

I think that the return of trust to citizens because citizens had lost the trust that Pristina could do well and the return of trust to citizens. Not only will it be good, but it will become a country of unique character in the world, with a wonderful motion where even citizens have the opportunity to live a good, healthy life. All these transfers of the capital are being made to the benefit of the capital of the capital's citizens. All these transformations also take time and have negative impacts on work, such as time. But when we know we have the vizon, we know where we're going and we're going on a good way to transform the capital”, he said.

Mayor Rama said he has again asked the Finance Ministry to sign the city ring agreement, but that the same are refusing, according to him, this project will ease traffic. He said that if aid does not come from the government for this municipal project I will see other forms to find support for it, EO reports.

He stressed that the government is not looking ahead to helping the capital. According to him, the government is sharing more funds for the Shtime municipality than for Pristina.
I still asked the minister of finance to sign the agreement for the capital ring, but unfortunately the central level does not see this as a priority. If we don't make the capital ring even now parallel to it we're doing all the other things, we're actually organising the Conference on Investors, because if we don't help the central level then we'll find ways to do this ourselves. Because they are very much needed to solve the problem of traffic. Why, for example, when we have the capital ring, the citizens don't need to go from one neighborhood to the other by entering the center of the capital,”.

And you also know in parallel that we're building 10 schools in the suburbs, parents don't need to be sent from the peripheral areas where they live to send kids downtown to school. The ring that we already have as designers, we're just waiting for that signature and he's not coming, so we're making the Conference for Investors. That is why the finance ministry needs to be asked, there is no priority for them more is the Entrance, more funds for the Increase than for the capital”, he said.