The Education Committee has approved the draft law for the ratification of the agreement on access to higher education and admission for studies in the Western Balkans.
To present the agreement to the committee, the Minister of Education, Hajrulla Ceku, also attended. He said that ratifying this agreement will facilitate the access of students from Kosovo to regional universities, KosovaPress reports.
Furthermore, according to him, the agreement—which is part of the Berlin Process—will bring the region closer to the European Union’s practices in the field of education.
“I am submitting for review the draft law for the ratification of the agreement on access to higher education and admission for studies in the Western Balkans. This agreement, signed on October 14, 2024, in Berlin by representatives of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia, aims to create a more open and functional higher education space in the region. Through it, access and admission of students to public higher education institutions are facilitated, administrative barriers are removed, and academic standards among the participating countries are brought closer together. With this draft law, we aim to ensure real academic mobility, mutual recognition of secondary and higher education qualifications, and strengthen institutional cooperation in the field of education. This agreement is part of the Berlin Process, as you know, and seeks to increase regional cooperation in higher education based on European values and standards,” he said.
Support for ratifying this agreement was also expressed by a committee member from the PDK, Enver Hoxhaj.
“Could this be a platform that in the future allows us to have academic mobility for students who come to a country that is at a certain stage of European integration,” Hoxhaj emphasized.
Similarly, another committee member from the LDK, Jehona Lushaku, considers this agreement useful.
“This is one of the most useful agreements for the entire education system. It creates facilitation and is a step forward toward European integration and removing barriers that universities and schools in the Western Balkans face,” she declared.
After passing the Committee, this agreement is expected to go to the Assembly for ratification.
