Kosovo declared independence on the 17th of February 2008. The small south east European state sits between Albania, Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro. The capital of the Republic is Prishtina, a city of around 500,000 people. The population of Kosovo exceeds 2 million.

Kosovo is a democratic, multi-ethnic and secular Republic,that incorporates into its Constitution the UN Special Envoy, Martti Ahtisaari, Comprehensive Proposal for Kosovo Status Settlement. This plan ensures that the Constitution of the Republic protects and guarantees rights for all of Kosovo citizens. The support of this proposal by Kosovar people shows readiness to move on, forgive and build. Kosovo is a state that is moving towards European integration, and will eventually become a member of the European Union. Kosovo has historically, culturally and socially been part of Europe. The ancient kingdoms that stood there were at the center of European history well over 3,000 years ago. Later on, as new world powers emerged and the world changed, again the nations of south east Europe forged the future of this continent. In more modern times, Kosovo ended up as the least developed part of Yugoslavia, slowly moving towards high unemployment and unequal opportunities for Kosovar Albanians. This, coupled with nationalistic policies that broke up Yugoslavia, culminated in the Kosovo – Serbia war of 1997-1999.
Today, having declared independence, Kosovo has chosen the path towards Europe. Independence, and the explicit and implicit recognition by the world, have helped set Kosovo on the right course.

Entrepreneurship in Kosovo is becoming a strong part of the country and there is a lot of local and international focus on the country, focusing on promoting local employment through entrepreneurship and even promoting the youth, which is an essential part of the country. There are a number of projects going on for this and there are also local events focused on startups, works going on on establishing a Business Incubator and an Innovation Center, and enforcing a better position for the women’s in entrepreneurship.

Important Resources