Kosovo has mineral reserves of up to 25 billion euros

Kosovo provides mineral reserves of up to 25 billion euros, so investment in the mining sector will enable high rates of economic and social growth in the country.

So said at the international conference “The mining sector and Kosovo-Albania mineral resources”.

Deputy Prime Minister Fatmir Limaj said the Kosovo government is committed to developing the mining sector in the country.

According to him, with the aim of sustainable development of this sector, the strategy of mines of the Republic of Kosovo for 2012-2025 has been drafted.

In this respect, the strategy defines the most rational use of mining resources through favourable creation for the use and economic imbalance of our resources in the mining sector and social issues for the benefit of communities and environmental care. In the legal and normative aspect of the mining strategy of the Republic of Kosovo 2012-2025 sets out a legal framework of about 33 laws, administrative guidelines, regulations and laws that may have an impact on the mining sector...06llahutre35” from the research that has been done by our experts involved in this strategy turns out that somewhere Kosovo currently knows mineral reserves somewhere between 12.5 billion euros to 25 billion euros”, Limaj said.

He also added through the national strategy 2016-2021 that will enable the strengthening of the mining sector, and this strategy also deals with the re-ilitation of the company “Trepca”, with the law being expected soon for the company.

Meanwhile, Trade and Industry Minister Bajram Hasani at this conference has spoken of opportunities being offered to foreign investors in terms of areas of particular interest declared by the Government of Kosovo.

He said they are working to create facilities for all strategic investors who want to invest in the mining sector in Kosovo.

“I believe in the last meeting we have had of the inter-ministerial commission that we have had analysis and demand of investors in the mining fields, we have agreed to make relief or exceptions, to make a recommendation to the Government of Kosovo that investors who can invest in these areas after assuming the status of strategic investment can be made that if we say there are no minerals to which investors enter to give the opportunity to withdraw in a legal term without criminal punishment, without having convicted<1> Hasani said.

According to him, the road infrastructure has also improved and many facilities have been made for producers this year expect to have many strategic investors.

The mining and mineral sector has been mired as having some bureaucratic turmoil, said Diaspore and Strategic Investments Minister Dardan Gashi.

According to him, these troubles are being averted through the Strategic Investment and Mine and Mine Law, which will liberalise the country's market for foreign investors.

The strategy investment law, which allows at a large speed without bureaucratic complications, to reach an agreement between the Government and the potential investor, and the new law of mining and minerals that is in processing, which will practically reflect on the strategy investment law so that this market “can be liberalised, Gashi said.

Albania's ambassador to Kosovo, Kemal Minxhozi, offering support to Kosovo in the possibility of developing the mineral sector, said that our country has not done enough to detect the use of minerals occurring at the border belt.

And on this issue he has asked the two governments to establish an ad-hoc commission for these mineral assets to be presented to interested investors.

“to create a joint ad-hoc interoper commission Albania -Kosovo to deal with a vulnerable accessable project, two exhibit two respective governments Albania and Kosovo to provide funds needed to come up with a package, especially at the border belt. This would affect not only the discovery but the exploitation of sleeping minerals so far. I am fully confident that experts, brothers on both sides, have the opportunity to make a tangible and non-negotiable project that I can return Kosovo with confidence in a very important area of mining industry that would send up to twice its exports in this direction, he said.

According to the Albanian ambassador, such a project would also affect the creation of new jobs in Kosovo.

Albania's Deputy Minister of Infrastructure and Energy, Enis Aliko, said this sector in Albania is privatised, stressing that laws enabling and creating conditions for investment, added that workplace safety remains a problem.

At the international conference “The mining sector and Kosovo-Albania mineral resources”, which will last two days, will be discussed with the legal procedures for the licensing of mining activities, introduced are the Special Interest Zones announced by the Government, Minings as strategic investments and potentials of the company “Shrepca” etc. /B. Ibishi/