Bled, 28.08. 2023 – Deputy Minister of Economy of the Republic of Kosovo, Getoar Mjeku, participated in the Bled Strategic Forum, wherein he spoke on two ministerial panels, “The Concept of ‘Digitalization First’ in Digital Transformation – Exchange of Practices”, as well as “Mapping Digital Performance in the Western Balkans Region”.

During the panels, Deputy Minister Mjeku highlighted the work and achievements of the Republic of Kosovo in advancing digital transformation. He shared key goals set by the Government through the Digital Agenda, such as the digitalization and improvement of services, drawing inspiration from best practices of other states. The discussion also acknowledged Kosovo’s achievement in providing 100% coverage of the country’s territory with high-speed internet, positioning Kosovo ahead in the region and among the top European countries with such coverage.

Another key point of discussion was investment in youth empowerment. Deputy Minister Mjeku emphasized that according to the “Future of IT” report for 2023 published by “Emerging Europe”, Kosovo is ranked among the first in Emerging Europe for the number of ICT students per 100,000 inhabitants. Additionally, 85% of ICT sector companies in the country export their services. Deputy Minister Mjeku addressed the need for such companies to have a skilled and trained young workforce.

The Deputy Minister outlined ongoing efforts in training the young workforce in the ICT sector to prepare them for the dynamic market demands. These efforts include training 1,500 young individuals by the Ministry of Economy supported by the European Union in various ICT areas, training 2,000 young individuals in digital skills through the KODE project, training 900 young individuals supported by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MESTI) and awarding scholarships to girls in STEM areas worth €2 million from MESTI.

Alongside Deputy Minister Mjeku, panel participants included Slovenia’s Minister Emilija Stojmenova, Croatia’s Minister Ivan Malenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Minister Edin Forto, North Macedonia’s Minister Azir Aliu and the Director of the e-Albania portal, Nevila Repishti. Among other topics, participants discussed the importance of deepening regional cooperation to enhance infrastructure, services and digital skills across the region, considering the significance of the ICT sector.