Kurti: With Albania we want economic union

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti said he has a clear position for market liberalisation between Kosovo and Albania. Kurti made these comments in the workshop for boosting regional co-operation that was held today in the capital.

The chief of executives said he wants the market liberalisation process to start with Albania and then expand with other countries.

Kurti stressed that such an issue will be addressed at the joint meeting of the two Albanian governments that are scheduled to be held in Shkodra and the barriers for both countries' businesses are removed.

The prime minister said the interest is but the government's will in Tirana must also exist for these problems that concern businesses and make operation difficult in respective countries.

“I have a clear attitude for market liberalisation between Kosovo and Albania and Kosovo, that is, in both sides of this direction and make an economic union through market liberalisation. I belong to the orientation that considers us to begin once and then we can expand with others but I believe that the next gathering of two governments is the right place at a time as soon as we can remove these barriers because there must be a mutual will to do that. I believe the interest is, but there must be the will”, Kurti said.

Kurti had a conversation with the participating businesses in this workshop, answering some of their concerns.

Stopping at the electricity problem, Kurti said he has opposed the privatisation of the distribution and the release of the Kosovo Energy Corporation and his stance has not changed.

He said the state has the institution that must oversee KEDS, the company that has the exclusiveity of its electricity supply and distribution on Kosovo territory.

It's true that KEDS has monopolies, that's not good, we turned a public monopoly here and seven years ago when privatisation happened and I believe it was wrong. I said that then I said it to this day. Those who pay the various defects in electricity should not be entrepreneurs. But for that we have an independent state institution, sir. The RRE, which should also oversee KEDS, we have the state institution that needs to do this”, the prime minister said.