Haradinaj sends letter to Prime Minister Kurti on gas project issue

According to Haradinaj, the gas project has been politicised and tarnished, and as a result the most important economic and geopolitical project for Kosovo is jeopardising, Klankosova.tv reports.

”Politisation and damage to the Gaz project is scandalous, the most important economic and geopolitical project for Kosovo is jeopardising

(The letter I sent to Prime Minister Kurti today) writes Haradinaj.

Dear Chief Prime Minister Kurti,

In May 2019, the Government of the Republic of Kosovo, led by me as the country's prime minister, approved the proposal to benefit from the Millennium Challenge Corporation grant (MCC) and support the development of the Kompact Programme. As a result, we created and supported a team of local experts and signed the Commission Development Fund Agreement (CDF).

As a result, the Kompack programme developed into full co-ordination with the priorities of the Government of Kosovo, the MCC agency and the policies of the American Government, and after many consultations with all operations in the energy sector, projects were identified within the programme for support for pre-afcibility studies, such as:

Gaz Sector Development - Development Energy Sector;

Balancing the generation system through creating energy reserves for the Transmission network;

Power sector power.

Now, I consider that developments that have followed with the Kurti Government, politicisation and damage to the Gaz project are scandalous, very harmful and risk implementing one of the most important economic and geopolitical projects for the country, as well as partnership with the US.

Deputy Prime Minister Bislimi labeled it and described the Gaz Project as a Russian project, denied the decisions of previous governments, and disinformed the public with many harmful falsehoods.

From you, Prime Ministers expect public distance and calls to the responsibility of Deputy Prime Minister Bislimi, on the contrary I appreciate that the stances of Deputy Prime Minister and Prime Minister are in full compliance. So under such circumstances, I consider the request for a consultative appointment unnecessary.

Moreover, we expect the government to make the necessary decisions to support the development of the Kompact project based on studies conducted so far by all actors involved. Our recommendations are the following:

The Gas Sector Development Project is supported by the Government and integrated into strategic planning.

Resigning the Energy Strategy will not be delayed and integrated into itself the development of gas infrastructure and generation capacities.

In addition to supporting Kompact for this project, the Kosovo government must devote itself to advancing negotiations with the EU and the EU to ensure the financing of the gas project.

Kosovo's government will begin creating conditions for the establishment of operator Transmission System (OST).

Support further research on the component of energy gas production to address the need for secondary and tercia reserves to balance the transmission network system.

I am also aware that implementing projects of strategic interest for the country requires time and access to finance, so we expect additional studies that are being conducted to help measure these requirements.

In the end, I support the implementation of the Kompact Programme as recommended in the feasibility study, and I hope that the results of feasibility will assess the terms of the transition of energy production in Kosovo, from coal to gas, and potentially to other sources that are more friendly to the” environment.