Mustafa Balje from Radio Television of Kosovo
Kosovo’s public broadcaster, Radio Television of Kosovo (RTK), opened a regional studio at the Innovation and Training Park (ITP) Prizren in 2022. We discuss this with journalist and RTK reporter Mustafa Balje, co-founder of Bosnian-language media in Kosovo and a member of the Kosovo Writers’ Union.
Mr Balje, how important was the opening of the regional studio in Prizren?
We couldn’t wait for it to open. Prior to that, our work involved travelling backwards and forwards between Prizren and Pristina. This was time-consuming and meant we couldn’t get the work done as quickly as we would have liked. We finally took up residence in the ITP two and a half years ago. It represents a huge success for our station, the city and the mission of the ITP.
What do you think makes the ITP so special?
The working conditions here are exceptional. The RTK studio is well equipped for our various productions, and we work extremely well as a multicultural team here on site. This has meant we can achieve the same media quality in Kosovo as in countries of Western Europe. And in our day-to-day work, it’s nice that we’re able to film interviews outside and enjoy some downtime in these beautiful surroundings.
‘The opening of a regional studio in Prizren represents a huge success for our station, the city and the mission of the Innovation and Training Park.’
And what was your experience of the site’s transformation?
A barracks of the former Yugoslavian army is now a place of peace. That’s an enormous change. Around 25 years ago, the Bundeswehr moved German troops onto the site as part of the KFOR mission. For us Kosovars, that deployment created the possibility of a new beginning and contributed to democratisation. When the soldiers were withdrawn, the site became an innovation and training park. And now I work here to produce reports about young people on IT courses.
Where do you see the role of Germany and GIZ in this transformation?
Germany’s role has been very important – and it still is today. We thank the German Government, the Bundestag and the Bundeswehr from the bottom of our hearts. They achieved a tremendous amount for us Kosovars. They listened to our needs and now we’re working together to build peace. GIZ’s activities with local partners and the Ministries of Finance and Economy have created opportunities that give young people hope. Hope of a new Kosovo for all the various population groups. Germany has always regarded this as a multi-ethnic region – one where everyone has rights, where all voices should be heard and decent living conditions created. We strive for Western values and Germany is supporting us in this goal.