Prishtina, 10.05.2019 – Minister of Economic Development, Mr Valdrin Lluka, is attending the second conference “Integral Development of Mining Industry with Minimal Environmental Impact”, a conference organized between Kosovo and Albania that is being held in Tirana.

Mr Lluka, in his speech before the conference participants, stressed the importance of coordinating the activities between our two countries in the economic area, focusing on increasing competitiveness as a common economic market.

Minister Lluka mentioned that “Trepça”, the magnesium mine in Golesh, the new coal mine, and 11 areas of special interest were the potentials which received attention from the Government of Kosovo for developing this vital sector for the country.

“Countries in transition that have managed to develop the mining sector have passed the transition phase faster, mainly because this sector has the capacity to absorb foreign investment faster than other sectors, resulting in new employment, increased economic activity and export growth, all of which impact on the increase of gross domestic product. Therefore, it is vital to prioritize the development of this sector for the well-being of our countries”, stated Minister Lluka in his speech.

The economic cooperation between our countries has recently resulted with the investment of the Baltin Group in Ferronikel, which is one of the largest exporters of our country, and with a potential for even more rapid development. This investment should be used as a model of cooperation between our two countries.

“The priority of our Ministry, among others, is to create a more competitive environment in the mining sector as a prerequisite for attracting foreign investment and for the development of the mining sector. The Law on Strategic Investments which eliminates bureaucracy and creates a favourable legal basis for bringing the most popular brands in our country is now in place”, stated Mr Lluka.

The second conference on “Integral Development of Mining Industry with Minimal Environmental Impact” has gathered the institutions of the two countries, businesses, and field experts and will last two days. The recommendations of this conference are intended to help policymakers improve the business environment in the mining sector.