Prishtina, 06 February 2013 – As part of his official visit to USA, the Minister of Economic Development, Besim Beqaj, will attend the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington D.C. During this visit he also conducted other specific meetings with senior representatives of the State Department, USAID and other organizations.

During the visit, Minister Beqaj met State Department representatives Dan Rosenblum, Thomas Lersten and Wendy Brafman, as well as USAID representatives, with which he discussed on further expansion of cooperation and support to the energy, mining and other economically significant sectors.

Head of MED thanked the State Department for the continuous support provided to Republic of Kosovo, especially in economy.

Minister Beqaj also met Congressman Eliot Engel, the co-head of the Congressional Albanian Issues Caucus, the purpose of which is to affirm and support Albanians both internally and internationally.

Beqaj used the occasion to emphasize progress Kosovo achieved since the declaration of independence, economic priorities and reforms implemented in the politic and economic sphere.

Further, Minister Beqaj informed Congressman Engel on projects in the field of energy, promotion of alternative energy resource investments, and structural reforms performed with the aim of creating prerequisites for a functional market economy, in which the private sector will play a key role in generating economic growth.

Minister Beqaj also met Christopher Smart from the Treasury Department, Bob Ichord from the State Department’s Office of Energy Resources, and representatives of a non-governmental organization active in the energy sector.