Inaguration Ceremony for refurbished Catholic School in Prizren

It is a pleasure to be here with you today to celebrate the inauguration of the Catholic School.

I thank Bishop Dodë Gjergji and the school staff for a warm welcome.

Indeed a good cause for celebration as this concerns a site of special significance for several reasons:

• It has been a historical site for centuries originally established as an Austrian legate to the Ottoman empire.
• It is a landmark that forms part of the character of Prizren's historic centre which is rich in cultural diversity.
• As a centre for education for many years, it symbolizes a tradition that has enriched many generations of Prizren's population.
• It is an expression of valuable generosity by the Catholic community towards Prizren's society, particularly to its young people.

Diverse religious and cultural traditions and a wide variety of cultural heritage sites are what makes Prizren unique and gives it a special character.

The restauration of the Catholic school is part of the EU Municipal social and economic infrastructure project which is supporting a balanced regional development in Kosovo.

It also fits the objectives of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement, which entered into force last Friday, to raise the level of education as means to promote skills development, employability, social inclusion and economic development in Kosovo.

In total, about € 650,000 were spent for the implementation of this project from July 2014 until March 2016.

The overall project supporting construction of municipal social and economic infrastructure (phase VII) also includes the restoration of the Orthodox school nearby in Prizren (expected to be finalized this spring) and the construction of 14 other schools or kindergartens spread in the rest of Kosovo. We have spent about 13.5 million EUR for this project from IPA funds (2011, 2012 and 2013).

The project not only restored the initial school, but it improved it. A complete metallic structure was added, strengthening the old masonry construction.

This is not only an investment in the physical restoration of the building itself, but in young generations who will benefit from the education and life lessons this school will provide. Education is the most valuable asset the young generation can take with them for a better Kosovo.

Thank you for joining us in this project.