European Union and Kosovo Government Continue to Support Return and Reintegration of Displaced

EUROPEAN UNION
EUROPEAN UNION OFFICE IN KOSOVO / EU SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE / / KOSOVO GOVERNMENT
MINISTRY OF
COMMUNITIES AND RETURN

PRESS RELEASE

European Union and Kosovo government continue to support return and reintegration of displaced in Kosovo

Pristina, 12 November 2014

Today, the EU Office in Kosovo / EUSR together with the Ministry for Communities and Return and representatives of several beneficiary municipalities started the new phase of the Return and Reintegration in Kosovo programme.

This programme is a joint initiative funded by the European Union and the Ministry of Communities and Returns supporting the creation of a stable, tolerant, multi-ethnic environment in Kosovo which ensures the basic human and minority rights. Furthermore the project aims at supporting the sustainable return of displaced persons through the increased involvement of government and non-government actors at both central and municipal level.

"The returns and reintegration programme is one of the most important projects of the Ministry in cooperation with the EU. I would like to thank our friends from the EU for helping us make another step towards ensuring a significant number of returns in Kosovo through this new phase of the project," said Dalibor Jevtić, Minister for Communities and Return.

Libor Chlad, Deputy Head of Cooperation in the EU Office, said: "By building sustainable livelihoods, improving living conditions and facilitating better access to social services, the Mayors of beneficiary municipalities are doing the best service to their citizens."

The project will be implemented in seven municipalities: Peja/Peć, Istog/Istok, Klinë/Klina, Obiliq/Obilić, Štrpce/Shtërpcë, Suharekë/Suva Reka and Gjilan/Gnjilane, over a period of 30 months. It aims to provide a comprehensive return package for some 250 displaced families including, assistance on return, housing reconstruction, necessary infrastructure connections, income generation and inter-ethnic dialogue activities. Some 600 families have returned so far with the assistance of the EU-funded programme. For this particular phase the European Union has allocated 4 million EUR along with 2 million EUR from the Ministry. To date, the European Union has allocated over 55 million EUR for minority communities throughout Kosovo.

For more information contact:

EU Office in Kosovo/EUSR

Fjolla Çeku-Sylejmani, Information Communication Officer,

; 038 51 31 327

http://eeas.europa.eu/delegations/kosovo/index_en.htm

http://www.facebook.com/EuropeanUnionKosovo

Ministry for Communities and Return

Uroš Staletović, Public Information Officer

; 038 200 16 504, 045 511 830