[en] Bashkëpunimi Zviceran në Kosovë

[en] Švajcarska Saradnja na Kosovu

Switzerland’s cooperation activities began with its participation in an OSCE verification mission and an extensive humanitarian aid programme during the armed conflict in 1998-99. Humanitarian actions and programmes to assist the return of persons displaced by the war were soon complemented by reconstruction and development activities. Switzerland is one of Kosovo's major donor countries. It aims to promote political stability as well as economic and social development, to strengthen local authorities and civil society, and to encourage regional integration.

The Swiss programme is coordinated by the Swiss Cooperation Office in Pristina. It is run jointly by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs and the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), Swiss Federal Department for Economic Affairs.

The Federal Office for Migration (FOM) Swiss Federal Department of Justice and Police also contributes to the Swiss cooperation programme in Kosovo.

Development Cooperation: Priorities

The 2007-2008 Swiss Cooperation Programme focuses on the following priorities:

• Economy and employment: modernization of agriculture, especially market gardening and fruit growing, hands-on vocational training, advice on quality standards and loans for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), in particular for women entrepreneurs;
• Public infrastructure and services: water supply and reform of waterworks in south-eastern Kosovo; electricity infrastructure;
• Rule of law and democracy: strengthening the authorities in Kosovo, local governance and decentralization, minority rights, modernization of the land register system, clarification of property rights and reform of the penal system.
• Migration: in conjunction with the Federal Office for Migration: strengthening of Kosovo’s migration authorities, social services for sections of the population under considerable pressure to migrate, diaspora links between Switzerland and Kosovo.

Important principles of our cooperation are equality of opportunities for men and women, inclusion of all communities and good governance.