Ambassador of the Kingdom of Norway, Mr Strand Sjaastad, visited the KLGI Institute

The Executive Director of the Kosovo Local Government Institute, Mr Besnik Tahiri, today welcomed the new Ambassador of the Kingdom of Norway to Kosovo, Mr Strand Sjaastad, and his associates to the premises of the KLGI Institute, and at the same time congratulated him on taking up his mission.

During the discussion, Ambassador Sjaastad expressed interest in the developments, challenges, successes and prospects of the local level. Mr Tahiri, praising the Norwegian Embassy’s engagement in supporting local initiatives and the KLGI Institute’s programmes, informed him about the dynamics and trends affecting municipalities and about the work this Institute is doing to support and strengthen the local level. There was also a general discussion on the Association of Municipalities and other topics of interest for local government.

Particular emphasis was placed on the education programme for municipal officials, LGA VI, and the programme of focused support for municipal sectors through LGA Empower, both of which are supported by the Norwegian Embassy. Through these two programmes, KLGI aims to draft a policy paper as an instrument of reform, in line with the MLGA strategy, regional practice and international trends in local governance.

The Norwegian Embassy has supported the KLGI Institute continuously, and this cooperation has resulted in a positive impact in the field of local governance in Kosovo. This visit therefore served as an introduction between the two sides, considering that the Norwegian Embassy continues to be one of the KLGI Institute’s key partners.