OAK seeks clarification from Albania and Kosovo over issue Ramiz Kelmendi raised against Erion Veliaj

Kosovo's Afarism Oda today has been addressed to the institutions of the Republic of Albania and Kosovo in connection with statements published by Ramiz Kelmendi.

OAK in this case expresses concern over the published statements of procrastination and obstacles that have been made and are being done by Tirana City Hall to make the planned investment of many million in this city, while demanding faster answers to the issue.

Otherwise, Kosovo Assembly deputy from the LDK ranks Ramiz Kelmendi, who is recognised by successful businessmen in Kosovo, has sent a letter to Tirana Mayor Erion Veliaj about a property opposed to the construction of the ETC.

Through the letter, Kelmendi has told of the purchase of property, which he said was promised powerful support by Chairman Velij.

But, as written on paper, in spite of Veliaj's words, the parcel purchased for the construction of ETC has encountered a conflict, for which Kosovo businessman has waited more than three years.

Kelmendi has announced that after giving the green light to start building the facility, worth millions of euros, inspectors had suspended the work.

This is Ramiz Kelmendi's full letter:

Open letter,

Tirana Mayor Mr. Erion Velijaj

Honored Mayor Veliy, three years ago in your office, where your professional-technical staff were present, asked professional opinion about buying property for the construction of ETC.

In my question whether there is a dispute, a public interest in the parcel in question, all the answers from you were in favor and support of this project.

As a reminder, I was deputy of the Republic of Kosovo's Parliament. I did not expect special treatment, but at least maintaining your speech and commitment as to an investor and citizen of Kosovo. Unfortunately, the opposite happened.

The case was submitted to the permit and I was forced to come back to your next meeting 15 months after the first meeting.

I enjoyed once again the same verbal support from you as I did on your first date. At this time of our second meeting, I was deputy prime minister of the Republic of Kosovo, and again I was treated as a ordinary citizen. I didn't care this time. After many expectations, so 3 years to whiteen construction permit (long or short waiting) let you and the opinion decide in November 2018, you cleared the document for paying the construction and infrastructure tax worth 1 million and 680 thousand euros.

This amount was paid for by us, and we were waiting for the dawning of the form, which by law had to be cleared by five days.

The days passed, the deadlines and three months later, even though it came into force legally-based, we under instruction from legal institutions began to give written instruction to all the necessary bodies for the beginning of the siege and preparation for the establishment of the cornerstone in which you as mayor would participate, for the joy of investing in Kosovo.

At this point, what was before the permit was anticipated. Your inspectors came to the workshop with no decision to suspend jobs and destroy the fences in the late hours of Saturday, wanting to intimidate the construction company.

I don't know and I'm surprised why this happened.

Your people filled us with answers to this surprise. Now it is required that we pardon the municipal property in question. Absurd. I regret to point out that your obligation to give the city hall gifts with blackmail, the property worth over 5m euros, is a youth madness. We were even told that if we didn't give the property that way, we would never build the supposed object.

So Mr. Veliyaj, publicly I am asking you to give up these adventures that will seriously damage the image of both sides and negatively influence local policies for investors from Kosovo.

Ramiz Kelmendi MP of the Republic of Kosovo Parliament.