The first Israeli ambassador to Kosovo, Tamar Ziv spoke for the first time in an exclusive interview for a local media.

Israeli Ambassador Ziv shared her impressions of the people and Kosovo, saying that the two countries have much in common and similarities.

She has shown that here she feels at home.

Ziv has indicated that in the future there is expected to be more cooperation in many areas such as education, culture, trade, health, agriculture, entrepreneurship and IT.

Read the full interview:

Telegrafi:

You are the first Israeli ambassador to Kosovo, what are your first impressions from the time you came here?

Tamar Ziv:

I am very honored to be the first Israeli ambassador to Kosovo.

I presented my credentials to the President on April 6, 2022 and officially began my term.

My first impression in Kosovo was the very warm and friendly reception I received from all the people I met, many of whom were happy to tell me that the history of the Jewish people and the Kosovar people is a history spanning 500 years.

An additional impression was that of a great resemblance between our peoples.

Kosovo reminds me of Israel 14 years after its founding, a country with a very young, vibrant and ambitious population, eager to take the country forward in all sectors and to create a country in which the youth have a promising future.

In Kosovo I feel at home as if I have known the country for many years.

Telegrafi:

Israel is the last country that has recognized Kosovo's independence, how do you see Kosovo-Israel relations today?

Tamar Ziv:

Israel and Kosovo have mutually recognized each other and established relations in February 2021. Since then both sides have worked to build relations between the two countries and people in many areas.

We highly appreciate the opening of the Kosovo Embassy in Jerusalem and the appointment of the Charge d'Affaires.

We were pleased to receive on an official visit the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Donika Gërvalla Schwarz, to Israel in May, during which she met with the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Lapid, as well as other ministers, MPs and businessmen. .

During the visit we signed two agreements in the field of education and culture as well as film co-productions.

We are now working on an additional agreement that will facilitate trade and communications.

In April, Issawi Freij,

Minister of Regional Cooperation was the first minister from Israel to visit Kosovo and hold meetings on cooperation in education, cooperation between municipalities, as well as for children with disabilities.

Israel donated 90 strollers for children with disabilities and we will be happy to share knowledge and experience in working with these children.

Parliamentary friendship groups have been established over the past year and we look forward to reciprocal visits in the coming months.

Tamar Ziv, Israeli Ambassador to Kosovo.

Photo: Ridvan Slivova

Telegraph:

You have held various meetings with representatives of government institutions, businesses, etc.

What have been the topics of discussion?

Tamar Ziv:

In all my meetings with government officials, academics, businesses, people from culture and civil society, we are working to find areas of cooperation between our countries.

I believe that one of our first tasks is to get our peoples to know each other better.

I strongly believe in investing in young people and building bridges between young people from both countries around issues that are of common interest such as entrepreneurship, tourism, education, culture and of course sports and other activities that bring people together.

Telegrafi:

In which areas can there be greater cooperation between Kosovo and Israel?

Tamar Ziv:

I believe we can establish meaningful cooperation in the fields of trade, healthcare, agriculture, entrepreneurship, IT, education including the Jewish heritage in Kosovo, cultural exchanges and more.

An additional area which is essential for both countries is that of bringing the diaspora closer to the country to be part of its growth and development.

Israel will be happy to share our experience in this area.

Looking at the very intense and condensed first year of our relationship, I am confident that by February 2023, the celebration of the second year of the relationship, we will have a long list of activities, projects and joint level visits high to see with pleasure./Telegraph/

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