Challenges of Economic Development in Kosovo:
Between Corruption and Institution Building
event
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Date
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Tuesday, 13 March 2012
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Venue
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CLM 5.02 Clement House Aldwych, LSE
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Speakers
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Avni Zogjani
Founder of Organization for Democracy Anticorruption & Dignity - ÇOHU!
Iraj Hashi
Professor of Economics, Staffordshire University
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Chair
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Will Bartlett
Senior Research Fellow in the Political Economy of SEE, LSE
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The question of economic development in Kosovo was the subject of a panel debate organised by LSEE, on 13 March 2012.
The event opened with a presentation by Iraj Hashi, Professor of Economics at Staffordshire University, in which he outlined the patterns of institutional development in Kosovo and explained the link between effective institutions and economic development. In the case of Kosovo, such institutional development had been hindered by historical factors, and continued to be hindered by problems such as corruption, the continued existence of informal networks and the uneven application of the rule of law.
The second speaker of the evening was Avni Zogjani, the founder of the Organisation for Democracy Anticorruption and Dignity (ÇOHU!), a leading Kosovo NGO working in the field of economic development. In his talk he explained how, since 1999 the economic development of Kosovo had been in the hands of UN and EU administrators and that even after the declaration of independence, in 2008, a handful of key countries, led by the United States, continued to play a key role in Kosovo through their Embassies in Pristina. As a result, they must also bear responsibility for the poor economic situation in Kosovo today. Having prioritised stability over development, they have failed to build the strong institutions Kosovo needs, and have failed to tackle the widespread corruption in Kosovo.
The Debate was co-organised with the LSE Student Union Albanian Society.