22 March 2019
22.03.2019- This project aims to support the Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning, respectively the Kosovo Environmental Protection Agency (KEPA) and the River Basin Regulatory Authority (RBRA), as well as other units of MESP in the construction and management of information related to water and the environment, as well as preparing Kosovo to negotiate agreements with the European Union.
Through this project, there will be direct opportunities for cooperation between KEPA and RBRA with the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) and the Swedish Water Management Agency (SWAM).
On this occasion, Minister Matoshi stated that in the past our country had not prioritized the environment, whereas currently the environment has the attention of everyone.
“Environmental issues now have the attention of the Government of Kosovo, the Prime Minister, the deputies, and they are increasingly receiving attention from our donors and friends every day,” declared Minister Matoshi, highlighting that with the help of donors and friends, Kosovo has now returned to investments in the environment, while thanking the state of Sweden for support in advancing environmental issues through experts from that country. Meanwhile, Ilir Morina, Chief Executive Officer of the Kosovo Environmental Protection Agency, considered the support of the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) as essential by providing experts for the MESP. Meanwhile, Nasrin Porghazian, Head of Development Cooperation at the Embassy of Sweden in Pristina, said that their country has supported Kosovo since the post-war period.
“Sweden has been a supporter of Kosovo since 1998. We have a rather long partnership with Kosovo and we aim to support Kosovo in this regard.
Our reforms and cooperative strategy are focused on three different areas and these areas are market development, democracy, human rights, and environment and climate,” stated Porghazian.
Meanwhile, Nina Galadze Ekstedt, environmental adviser at SIDA, and Ulrik Westman, representative of SEPA, highly appreciated the cooperation between the Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning agencies and those of Sweden.
Earlier, there was also a signing ceremony of an agreement for project support by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) and the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA).