Prishtina, 03.03.2026 – At the ministerial meeting within the framework of the PDAC, the Republic of Kosovo was represented by the Minister of Economy, Ms. Artane Rizvanolli, accompanied by the Minister of Industry, Entrepreneurship and Trade, Ms. Mimoza Kusari Lila.

During the bilateral meetings, Minister Rizvanolli held discussions with senior representatives from partner countries, including: Claude Guay, Parliamentary Secretary/Deputy Minister of Energy and Natural Resources of Canada, Brian Jean, Minister of Energy and Minerals of Alberta, David Michael, Minister for Mines and Petroleum in Western Australia, and Stéphane Séjourné, Executive Vice-President for Prosperity and Industrial Strategy at the European Commission.

Minister Rizvanolli emphasized that Kosovo has a long mining tradition, with the Trepça complex as one of the main pillars of economic development in the past decades. She underlined that the priority of the Ministry of Economy is the revival and transformation of the mining sector, developing it not only as an extractive industry, but also through increasing processing capacities within the country.

The mining sector was highlighted as a strategic sector for economic development and national security, especially in the global context where critical minerals are essential for the energy transition and technological advancement. Minister Rizvanolli reaffirmed that the development of this sector will be carried out in partnership with allied and trusted countries, contributing to the security and sustainability of supply chains.

For the second term of office, the Ministry of Economy will have the mining sector among its main priorities. For the public enterprise Trepça, a public-private partnership model is being considered for its modernization and development, including investments in modern technology and further processing. At the same time, the Ministry will intensify the systematic collection of geoscientific data, with the aim of accurately assessing the mining potential and long-term strategic planning.

In these processes, the Ministry of Economy aims for early cooperation with international partners, in order to develop projects according to the highest standards and contribute to strengthening the strategic partnerships of the Republic of Kosovo.

Kosovo’s representation at the PDAC conference this year is also being supported by the CLDP (Commercial Law Development Program) of the United States Department of Commerce.