Kosovo became the newest member of the European Forum for GeoStatistics, announced through an official communication of the Statistical Office of the Republic of Kosovo.

For acceptance of Kosovo in this forum previously had to be the harmonization of data according to European standards and this is a very important step for the Republic of Kosovo, said the Minister of Public Administration and the Statistical Office of Kosovo.

"This is the first time that Kosovo in any field of statistics is ranked among the first countries in the region", reads the communique. This achievement was made possible thanks to activities so far the preparation of cartographic base for census, household and housing projects conducted during 2008-2009 by mapping department and GIS work at the Statistical Department of Kosovo said the communique.

The Cabinet of the Government of the Republic of Kosovo approved the Draft Law on the Courts in Kosovo and the Draft Law on Amending the Law on the Irrigation of Agriculture Land.

Prime Minister Thaçi reaffirmed the commitment of the Government to reform the justice system in Kosovo, at the Cabinet meeting. The Prime Minister said, “With the approval of the Law on the Courts, the courts in Kosovo will be more efficient in accomplishing their mission to enforce and protect the law, by functioning promptly and fairly in solving judicial cases.” He added, “The new law on the courts provides the organizational form of the courts in Kosovo and their coverage of all of Kosovo, with seven basic courts and their branches throughout the Kosovo municipalities.”

The Cabinet approved the Draft Law on Amending the Law on the Irrigation of Agriculture Land, in an effort to use these amendments to harmonize this law with EU directives regulating this field.

The Cabinet also approved a decision, proposed by the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports, to set aside funds to mark the 100th anniversary of the birth of Mother Teresa.

The Ministry of Culture, according to this decision, will set up an organizational council that will lead the activities marking this jubilee and will declare 2010 as “The Year of Mother Teresa.” The Cabinet mentioned that there will be numerous manifestations and cultural and scientific events commemorating our great humanist, Mother Teresa.

"The government of the Republic of Kosovo is making maximum efforts for Kosovo to be a state of knowledge, in which scientific research is a function of development, economic growth, and modernization of society," the Minister of Education, Science, and Technology, Enver Hoxhaj said in a speech, welcoming the work of the "2010 Science Week" scientific forum.

Organized by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, "2010 Science Week" was launched March 1st, aimed at introducing scientific achievements, issues, and current developments in Kosovo.

The event was greeted by Minister of Education, Science and Technology, Enver Hoxhaj, which has said that we intend to achieve three priorities crucial to the country.

"Firstly, we think that these should be a wider debate on how much belongs to the drafting of new policies in science as a 21st century state, which is based on knowledge and research. Secondly, we are interested to implement a new law in regards to scientific research. Thirdly, the Kosovo government has a budget available which will be used for scientific research," he said, who also stressed that MEST (Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology) higher education institutions for science and research will try to build a debate that will allow new policies to be drafted and achieved.

In addition, the minister said MEST has made efforts to have a better intensity in the internationalization of science and research to have better links with higher education and simultaneously have genuine connection between scientific and research work with public and private companies. The minister has cited several actions MEST has taken over the two years that have created new preconditions: "We have established the Center for International Cooperation, which aims to be available to all higher education institutions and scientific institutes. We have established the Center for Innovation and Technology, even though Kosovo was not comparable with industrialized countries, but our goal is to create the core of the apple that will enable innovation, knowledge transfer, and international cooperation in the field of science and research to be primary.

There are administrative guidelines that are designed to enable not only the University of Prishtina, but any higher education institution, to perform scientific research. Among the most important events was the formation of the National Council of Science, which is led by eminent representatives of science in Kosovo.

In the end, the Minister informed the participants that MEST will soon introduce the laws on higher education after discussions, ideas, and events are reviewed in regards to scientific research, and that these laws will be needed to develop a national innovation system in Kosovo.

The Republic of Kosovo minister of Education, Enver Hoxhaj and the Ambassador of Austria in Kosovo, Walter-Maria Stojan, agreed in Pristina that Austria will be the main partner for the founding of the University of Prizren in Kosovo.

Ministri Hoxhaj stated that the Republic of Austria will support the establishment of the University of Prizrenit through providing of consultancy, selection of professors, compiling of the University development plan, drafting interim statute, and identifying higher education institutions in Austria which will cooperate in the educational curricula for this university.


Austrian Ambassador Walter-Maria Stojan expressed readiness of Austria to create the framework for this university.

Minister Hoxhaj is confident that the University of Prizren will open its doors in October of this year and will offer students the possibility of studies in 15 new areas.

Kosovo Government has so far allocated a budget of €3 million for the initial work and preparations to open the University, while the Municipality of Prizren has provided a location for its construction.