Prizren, 18 October 2018. “Institutional Support in the Protection of Roma Language as a Part of Tradition and Culture in Prizren ” was the topic of discussion with the participation of political decision-makers represented in the Municipal Assembly. This activity was carried out with the purpose of discussing and supporting the initiative of making the Roma language a language in official use in the municipality of Prizren.

Initially, Osman Osmani elaborated the process of initiative over the years by a group of Roma intellectuals, specifying the legal possibilities as well. He said that “the initiative has long been undertaken based on the Constitution of the Republic of Kosovo and the primary legislation on the issue of the use of official languages and official use at the local level”. This initiative was left unconsidered by the local institutions in Prizren and owing to KDI, this issue was reintroduced for consideration by urging the political spectrum of the municipality of Prizren to support the initiative of the community group in order to make Roma language a language in official use in the municipality of Prizren.

Chair of the Municipal Assembly, Mr. Artan Abrashi, said “I welcome such an initiative and I expect that the request for item of the Agenda will be submitted to the Committee on Policy and Finance to be later forwarded to the Municipal Assembly”. In capacity of a Chair and on behalf of LVV, I will support the request and we will give the green light for approving the request. This will be a privilege for the municipality and probably it will be the first municipality in Europe to have four official languages and one language in official use, namely Roma language.

Bashkim Gashi from CPHRF (KMDLNJ) said that “the initiative and a decision-making act for the recognition of the Roma language as a language in official use is more than welcome, which will make Prizren distinctive in the sphere of multiculturalism, not only in Kosovo but even beyond. It is disappointing why the Municipality of Prizren is not the first municipality in the country to have the Roma language as a language in official use.

Also the representatives of political parties (LDK, AAK, PDK, VAKAT, NDS) have supported such an initiative and expressed their readiness to give their approval in the Municipal Assembly of Prizren.