Sustainable municipalities, a driving force towards European integration

During his stay in Vienna, Austria, the Executive Director of the KLGI Institute, Besnik Tahiri, met the Deputy Secretary General of the Austrian Association of Municipalities, Nicolaus Drimmel. The meeting discussed the role of municipalities in countries’ development processes, with emphasis on the path towards European integration.

The meeting was a good opportunity to look at the functioning of local governance in both countries in order to identify opportunities for exchanging good models. In this context, particular emphasis was placed during the meeting on Austria’s experience in inter-municipal cooperation, as well as on the possibilities of adopting and adapting these practices in the Republic of Kosovo.

Tahiri also visited the Centre for Public Administration Research, where he saw at first hand the centre’s engagement and work in support of the country’s development. During this visit, they discussed capacity building and concrete forms of cooperation in important areas such as administration and local finance, through the provision of specific training in the field of public policy.

Finally, Director Tahiri and Deputy Secretary General Drimmel agreed to look ahead to areas of cooperation, announcing a visit by an Austrian delegation to Kosovo.