Inter-municipal cooperation, a key factor for local economic development

The Kosovo Local Government Institute (KLGI) organised a virtual workshop on the topic “Inter-municipal and cross-border cooperation”. The meeting aimed to discuss the challenges and efforts to promote and strengthen inter-municipal cooperation in support of good governance and local economic development.

Participants in this training session were the chairpersons of Municipal Assemblies and representatives of mayors’ cabinets.

During the discussion it was stressed that inter-municipal cooperation is important in support of faster local economic development and more efficient and effective service delivery.

Inter-municipal cooperation means establishing relations between two or more municipalities on the basis of an agreement for the more efficient and effective exercise of the municipalities’ own competences and tasks. Above all, it serves to achieve their common interests and goals in the field of municipal public services.

In this respect, the main actors should strengthen and intensify inter-municipal cooperation in order to make use of the opportunities this field offers; otherwise, the result is a loss of resources and of financial and human potential.

Cross-border cooperation, meanwhile, is needed to improve local economic development and to encourage contacts between people in border areas, including local and regional authorities and all stakeholders.

The KLGI Institute is dedicated to analyses and studies that contribute to effective local governance practices in Kosovo. Through its educational programmes, KLGI also works on building the capacities of the country’s municipalities.

This activity was carried out within the framework of the platform “The Kosovo We Want”, with the support of the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung – FES.