Kosovo is entering a new context in the cultural relations in Europe

Holding of 13th Session of European Culture Parliament in Kosovo is evidence of resetting the communication and cooperation in the field of culture between Kosovo and Europe.

This is how the Prime Minister of Kosovo, Hashim Thaçi said in the opening of the 13th session of ECP -in Prishtina. In this opening, the Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Memli Krasniqi, Permanent Secretary of ECP, Karl Erik Norman, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Ministry of Kosovo, Petrit Selimi and Par Stenback, President of the Senate of ECP spoke too.

around 100 personalities of culture from Europe and tens of artists from Kosovo participated in the opening of the session.

Prime-minister Thaçi said that artists in Kosovo even in the most difficult times showed passion for creation of values. He said that exactly for its history and ideal, diversity and proper values, Kosovo is an ideal country for holding this session. Prime-minister said that culture in Kosovo has already taken a new dimension and spoke of the support that the state is giving to cultural stage in general.

“Culture and art nowadays are treated by politics as one of the conditions for development of society. Therefore special attention has been put on policies for culture and art, beginning with doubling of funds for culture and art to support for independence and sustainability of art and culture but also for protection by law of the work of artists and professionals of culture. Kosovo has turned into a qualitative producer but also a passionate and eager consumer of art and culture thus bringing presentations and important cooperation of artists of our country with their colleagues from the region and beyond”, he added.

Minister Memli Krasniqi in his speech thanked European Culture Parliament for trusting Kosovo to organise the session of ECP, and the British Council in Kosovo for showing full cooperation in co-organisation. He said that for culture in Kosovo this event is very important.

“Kosovo is a small country but it has a lot to offer. In the recent years, especially in the 15 last years, following the freedom of Kosovo, we have faced many challenges. As a country in general, and artists in particular have made their utmost efforts to create a new situation, a new environment where the cultural and artistic expression is not only a dream”, he said.

Minister added that in Kosovo there are hundreds of activities and every year the cultural scene of Kosovo is getting improved.

“With creating of a new context and exchange of experiences during these days of this session of European Culture Parliament, long term relations shall be created and they will play a special role in the European cultural scene”, the minister said.

Secretary of ECP, Karl Erik Norman spoke of the agenda of the three day session where he mentioned its key points, such as the cultural diplomacy, where culture is to be on the front line in order to reach recognition of Europe, recognition of the remainder of the world. He stressed that in this session of Prishtina, it will also be talked about the ‘hot’ and difficult issues, such as populism and extremism, then it will be discussed about the crisis in Ukraine and the effects they may have for Europe, it will also be discussed about the relations artist-society, and what they should know for each other. Norman noted that ECP, is a parliament of values, not only through matters of democracy and human rights, but also for gender equality, youth networks.

He said that it is a special session for them. “We are happy that we are here in your country, which for years has suffered a lot, but it has been courageous. We are very happy that we symbolise here exactly what we think the spiritual is more important than the mechanical one, when we have to deal with the European future”.

Whereas the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Petrit Selimi, in his speech mentioned the image in which the foreigners see Kosovo, and this session is a good opportunity to see the real image of Kosovo as a country directed to European perspective. He made a comparison into what is said for Kosovo abroad, just as Breivik in his pamphlet, and names such as Rita Ora, Mother Teresa, Rene Rexhepi that were Albanians, by amending so the unreal reflection abroad for Kosovo.

“There are images of prejudice for Kosovo, as to what Kosovo is, pieces of war images, refuges, pieces of news for radical Islam, clashing of civilisations and for this reason Kosovo, the Government, cultural diplomacy is not only one department, or a budget line, but it is a fundamental feature of our direction in the world”, Selimi said.

He also said that culture is the best accelerator in building our country and in our journey as a country towards Europe, while he mentioned that there was a war, we have had refugees but we have returned and now we are trying with the trust that we can and will rebuild our state, where he mentioned that we are a new people not only by our date of declaration of independence as a state but also with our young population Kosovo has.

“We are a typical modern people mixed with identities, with ethnical, religious, historical identity layering”, Deputy Foreign Minister said.

He asked the members of ECP to take the good experiences here in Kosovo, to share it with their countries and to contribute that Kosovo has another image in Europe and in the World, by accelerating this way the journey of Kosovo towards Europe, so kosovars travel freely without visas into European community.

ECP session will continue its works until Sunday. Apart from discussions, workshops, there will also be other cultural activities, visits to different cities with artists from Kosovo, etc.