Hoti in the Conference of Ambassadors: Mechanism for culture a possible instrument guaranteed by law for both republics

Deputy Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Rexhep Hoti participated in the fourth Conference of Ambassadors that is being held in Prishtina since 19 December.

Talking about the Kosovo-Albania partnership and the expectations for 2017, the Deputy Minister listed the current stumbles in regard to cooperation, either in relation to improper functioning of the common cultural calendar or the critics of the artist community about stumbles in cooperation.

Referring to this, Hoti stated that the efforts of both countries should have been merged into a single engagement, through establishing a common ministry of culture as an institutional body.

He stated that regardless of its legal difficulties, such an idea may be realized initially in a different form of cooperation, if we refer to Law no. 42/2016 on International Relations with the Republic of Albania (Article 13) but also to the Kosovo one that allow for institutional cooperation through ratified international agreements.

In order to be legally correct, the Deputy Minister proposed that through an agreement between ministers, to propose establishing of a common Mechanism on Culture that would coordinate, approximate and coordinate cultural policies between the Republic of Kosovo and Albania, including the eventual budgetary impacts.

“Apart from the agreement, this mechanism could easily become a legal category in both countries”, Hoti said.

Such joint mechanism, according to the Deputy Minister, could ensure more access to EU funds for culture, having into consideration the fact that cultural and creative industries represent around 3% of global GDP.

“Of course, the establishment of the Ministry of Culture remains a perspective for both countries, which also implies constitutional changes within both sovereign and unitary states, such as the Republic of Kosovo and which needs more time”, Hoti stated.

The Deputy Minister of MCYS, Rexhep Hoti, said that similar models of institutional establishments can be arranged also in other fields, such as economy, security, police, healthcare, education, etc.