Prishtina, 22 June 2012 – The National Museum of Crystals and Minerals has a particular importance for Kosovo, nationally and regionally, and hope that this institution will be a connecting bridge of science, economy, history and culture of our new country, said the Minister of Economic Development, Besim Beqaj.

Beqaj made these comments in today’s inauguration ceremony of the National Museum of Crystals and Minerals in Stantërg of Mitrovicë, in the presence of Government Ministers, Managers of Trepça, representative of the international community, and numerous members of the public.

On this occasion, Beqaj said that based on historical facts, the use of lead, zinc and silver in Kosovo is a tradition, and has an important effect in the country’s economy. For this reason, institutional consideration and involvement make a particular task for all.

“Lead and zinc mines, particularly the Trepça mine in Stantërd, is one the most attractive sources known in the region and beyond, due to its diversity, size and beauty of discovered crystals thus far”, he added.

He said that the crystals discovered in this area are collected by the employees and engineers of Trepça, and this has resulted with the establishment of the Museum of Crystals in Trepça in 1964. In the beginning, the number of exhibits was symbolic, but in time, this museum gained recognition and importance globally. However, because fo the dark period of Kosovo’s history, exhibits were not maintained according to our tradition and best international practices.

“It was the state of the museum’s building that made the Ministry of Economic Development, the Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning, and “Trepça” to build a new facility for this strategically important museum”, said Beqaj, and added that the new museum is modern, build according to all cultural and touristic parameters, and modern international standards.

Deputy Minister of Environment and Spatial Planning, Ilir Mirena, said that knowing that Kosovo has many resources of crystals and ores, MESP, in cooperation with MED, and the Trepça enterprise, considered that it is important to support this project, and the institutional infrastructure has been developed to provide institutional care for this museum.

From his part, Trepça’s manager, Ferat Shala, said that the value of this project is around 560,000 euro, and that nearly 1,500 selected examples of Kosovo’s crystals and minerals are exhibited.

Shala also spoke on Trepça’s performance, and said that the Stantërg mine currently has 1513 workers, and that it has increased its own source revenues; only last year it has hired 200 new employees.

Trepça’s manager said that the enterprise has had the support of the Japanese and Czech Governments, and that the greatest challenge is the restructuring of the Industrial Complex “Trepça”.

Finally, Minister Beqaj, in the company of the Minister of Finance, Bedri Hamza, Deputy Minister of Environment, Ilir Mirena, and Trepça’s Manager, Ferat Shala, have cut the inauguration ribbon of the museum and visited its interior displays.