UN-HABITAT and Sida delegations, met with the Minister of Environment and Spatial Planning, Mahir Yagcilar on Thursday, January 14^th 2010, as part of the Tri-Partite Review agenda for the Municipal Spatial Planning Support Programme (MuSPP).

The meeting focused on the lessons learned from the implementation of the programme as well as new ideas for future cooperation.

In his opening remarks, the Minister expressed his gratitude to MuSPP and Sida for the support given to the MESP and Kosovo municipalities and expressed hope for further cooperation between MuSPP and MESP.

The Minister highlighted the priorities of the ministry where MuSPP support would be appreciated. These included the support to the Kosovo Spatial Plan, as well as to five new municipalities, which resulted from the decentralisation process, and other municipalities in drafting of municipal development plans.

Informal Settlements were also mentioned as an issue high on the MESP agenda. In this regard MESP noted that when it comes to drafting strategies the professional and financial support is needed. Related to this, the Minister recommended that the housing programme should be carried out in coordination jointly by the MESP and MuSPP.  “The environmental component should get a stronger emphasis in the municipal and urban development plans” minister said, and the support of UN-HABITAT is necessary in this topic. UN-HABITAT and Sida delegations were also informed that the law for the capital city of Prishtina will be approved soon and that the Cadastral Agency of Kosovo will be under the umbrella of MESP.

UN-HABITAT and Sida representatives greeted the impressive progress of the programme made especially in the smaller municipalities where the planning documents are being made in house with the strong support of MuSPP Team and involvement of the Institute and Department of Spatial Planning within Ministry of Spatial Planning.

The three parties in this meeting, the Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning, UN-HABITAT and Sida assured that the support to the planning process in all MuSPP Municipalities will continue and will contribute to a better urban future in Kosovo.