Turkey will support Kosovo in building its sports infrastructure

Turkey will support sports in Kosovo, with particular emphasis the physical infrastructure. This was the pledge the Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports of the Republic of Kosovo Kujtim Gashi received from his counterpart, the Minister of Sports and Youth of the Republic of Turkey, Osman Aşkın Bak, at the meeting that took place today in Ankara.

Minister Gashi thanked Minister Aşkın Bak for the reception and expressed his gratitude for the support that Turkey has provided for Kosovo's sport so far, especially in the process of its internationalization, and also in other areas.

Minister Gashi briefed the Turkish Minister of Sport on organizing and regulating sports life in our country as well as achievements and successes of athletes in the field of sports. He briefed Minister Bak on the talents that Kosovo has, with particular emphasis on the successes in judo, where Kosovo through the judoka Majlinda Kelmendi has managed to win Olympic medal at OG RIO 2016. Also, the minister spoke about the internationalization process of Kosovo sport, the commitment of the ministry in improving and completing the physical and legal infrastructure in sport, where he highlighted the plan for the construction of the Kosovo National Stadium, the needs that emerged after Kosovo's admission to international sporting organizations.

Minister Gashi expressed the need for increased cooperation between Kosovo and Turkey through the signing of agreements in the fields of sports and youth, exchanging experiences and experts in various fields of sport, and playing friendly matches in many sports as well as exchange of activities and camps among youngsters of both countries so that they get to know each other, communicate and cooperate more by launching ideas and new plans for their sector as well as for the future.

Minister Kujtim Gashi asked from the ally state of Turkey to help Kosovo with another second stadium, as the procedures for the National Stadium have started. He on this occasion received pledge that the Ministry of Sports and Youth of the Republic of Turkey will be engaged in this direction to realize this capital project as soon as possible, initially with the professionals meeting to draft a plan and then discuss modalities of stadium financing and its construction.

For his part, Turkish Minister Bak, spoke about good relations between Turkey and Kosovo in all areas, with emphasis on co-operation in sport. He underlined Turkey's focus on Balkan countries by singling out a report with the state of Kosovo.

Minister Bak expressed his satisfaction with the successes that Kosovo has achieved in the field of sport, especially in the process of internationalization and said that cooperation in sport with Kosovo and Turkey is to be intensified further by formalizing it through a cooperation agreement.

Minister Bak expressed his full readiness to support Kosovo in the field of sport by assuring counterpart Gashi that he will engage without any saving to assist Kosovo in many projects, whether they are of the nature of direct investment or exchange of experiences and experts.

The two ministers agreed to increase the communication and contacts between the two institutions of the two countries in order to concretize the plans that will be achieved by both sides.

Also, in the framework of the meetings held by Minister Gashi in Turkey, he was hosted by the Deputy Chairwoman of Turkey's Grand National Assembly, Ajshe Nur Bahçekapili and Zeyid Aslan, Chairman of the Turkey-Kosovo Friendship Group of the Turkish Parliament.

Minister Gashi thanked them for the reception and expressed gratitude for the people and the Turkish state for helping the state of Kosovo throughout various stages of statehood and building democratic life. The Minister said that he is visiting the Republic of Turkey in order to deepen the relations between the two countries and strengthen the cooperation, where the agreement on cooperation in culture was signed.

"Kosovo and Turkey have a lot in common and this is a great potential for cooperation to grow even more, and this enhances the communication of the Albanian community living in Turkey but also the Turkish community living in Kosovo", said the minister informing the hosts about the representation and integration of the Turkish community in Kosovo into the institutional life in Kosovo at all levels.

The Turkish side welcomed Minister Gashi in Turkey and stressed the good relations between the two countries, citing the common past we had as two peoples. Deputy Speaker of the Parliament spoke about Turkey's support in the international arena in the framework of lobbying for the state of Kosovo and its membership in many international mechanisms.