Dear organizers,
Dear colleagues,
Dear Ambassadors, and other participants,

Firstly, please allow me to thank the organizers for organizing for their hospitality and for creating a very a suitable environment to discuss on such important topics, such as the energy security of supply.

Secondly, it is my pleasure to represent the Republic of Kosovo in this important event, and to briefly present our plans for the energy sector. Problems regarding the energy supply are common. They have reached not only a regional dimension, but also global.

Kosovo is small, but when it comes to energy, we must note that it has considerable primary resources. Kosovo has enough lignite to competitively generate electricity that would not only contribute to the improvement of the security of supply in Kosovo, but rather in other the Balkan countries also.

In April 2010, Kosovo Assembly adopted the Energy Strategy for the period 2009 – 2018. This strategy has also taken into account the new circumstances of the energy security of supply in the Balkan region.

The objective of Kosovo is to mobilize private investments to build as soon as possible new power generation capacities which have already been identified. With the assistance of the World Bank, the European Commission, and the USAID, this year Kosovo will select a strategic investor for the construction of 1,000 MW new generation capacities, to be commissioned by 2016/17.

In this direction, Kosovo is open and welcomes private investments in its energy sector. To accelerate these investments, Kosovo is implementing important reforms in line with the European Union legislation. Further, Kosovo has a modern legal framework on the energy sector, and is currently advancing the energy regulatory framework.

Kosovo aims to be connected and integrated in the international natural gas networks, coming from Eurasia. This is also provided in our energy strategy. We are committed and we support the construction of the natural gas ring for the Western Balkans, as it is defined in the respective study, developed with the support of the World Bank and KfW, in the framework of cooperation within the Energy Community Treaty, to which Kosovo is a signatory party. In the end 2009 we have adopted the Law on Natural Gas, in line with European legislation and we are now in the process of including other EU Directives and Regulations for the gas sector.

Kosovo supports the construction of the Nabucco gas pipeline, and other gas networks that countries of the region wish to build. Kosovo is willing to be connected to these gas networks.

Kosovo seeks to have good relations with all countries of the region. Therefore, it puts particular attention to enhancing the bilateral and multilateral cooperation, based on mutual benefits for every country. Hence, we have established very good energy sector cooperation with Albania and Bulgaria, and we have concluded bilateral agreements with them. We are finalizing such cooperation with Slovenia and Macedonia, and we will soon offer such cooperation to the Republic of Montenegro. Thus, in principle, Kosovo is committed to developing the cooperation, with all countries.

Thank you very much for your attention.