Eurasia Press & News
Slovenia’s government is postponing donations worth €500,000 to Kosovo planned for this year, Belgrade’s Beta news agency reports.
The exact reason for the postponement is not known although the money will be handed over to Pristina authorities next year.
A donor conference was held in Brussels in July, at which European Union member states pledged money for Kosovo’s social and economic development.
More than €1.24 billion was promised at the conference, including €500,000 from Slovenia.
Ahead of the conference, the Kosovo government presented its greatest priorities, and said they included investments in the infrastructure, which would tie Kosovo to the region and improve conditions for education, “developing institutions for strengthening democracy and leading the country, as well as creating a lawful and multi-ethnic community in Kosovo,” the Beta news agency reports.
Donors for their part stated that social and economic development is needed in Kosovo in order to secure stability in the Western Balkans.
The projects that would be financed by Slovenia “would be oriented towards developments in sectors of energy and mining, traffic, environment, agriculture, private and financial sectors, decentralisation, new institutions, education, the return of refugees and other sectors”.
Slovenia recognized Kosovo’s February 17 declaration of independence on March 5, but Ljubljana had been setting aside significant funds to aid Kosovo prior to the decision.
Slovenia is also present in the Kosovo peacekeeping mission led by NATO.
