The Kosovo government allocates 580 thousand euros for the music school and museum in Presheva
Express newspaper
09/07/2025 12:12
The acting government of Kosovo on Wednesday allocated over half a million euros for financial support in co-financing the construction project of the music school and museum in Presheva, a municipality inhabited by an Albanian majority in Serbia.
During the government cabinet meeting, the acting Minister of Culture, Hajrulla Çeku, said that this decision came after the request of the Municipality of Presheva.
He said that this request is based on the agreement between the Government of the Republic of Kosovo and the Albanian National Council in the Presheva Valley.
The co-financing of the project worth 580.000 euros by Kosovo, according to Çeku, represents “one of the most important investments for the cultural life of Albanians in the Presheva Valley.”
As previously stated by the Kosovo executive, the state of Kosovo has so far, through the Albanian National Council, supported 28 cultural projects, while directly through the Ministry of Culture, 21 projects in the Presheva Valley – a term that also includes Medvedja and Bujanovac, municipalities inhabited by an Albanian majority in southern Serbia.
On June 27, 626.400 euros were also allocated to support education and institutional lobbying for Albanians in Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja, including scholarships for students, support for pupils and funding for lobbying and advocacy activities at the international level.
In October last year, Kosovo’s Deputy Prime Minister, Besnik Bislimi, accused Serbia of trying to stop the Kosovo Government’s financial support for Albanian farmers in the Presevo Valley.
Bislim’s reaction came after representatives of Albanians from the Presevo Valley said that the Ministry for Human and Minority Rights in Serbia had requested the cancellation of the call for subsidizing agricultural crops from Kosovo Government funds.
Serbia does not recognize Kosovo’s independence, declared in 2008, and considers it part of its territory.
On the other hand, official authorities in Belgrade finance all educational and health institutions in Serb-majority areas in Kosovo through the Serbian budget.
The rest of Serbia’s institutions in Kosovo were closed during 2024 by the Kosovo authorities, as they are considered illegal and parallel. /REL/