Prishtinë, 04.04.2017 – Kosovo had a strategy for the mineral sector and a legal infrastructure that regulates this field, however we wanted to have concrete engagements and projects which would change the landscape of the mineral sector in our country, said Minister of Economic Development Blerand Stavileci.

Stavileci made these comments in a meeting organised by the Kosovo-Turkish Trade Commerce, where the Turkish company ESAN presented the investment opportunities in the mineral sector in Kosovo and creation of jobs in front of students of Isa Boletini University in Mitrovica.

Stavileci said that they are looking into finding a balance between the use of resources and protection of environment, so that everything that is done in the mineral sector is done in a fine balance between economic benefits, environment and social aspects.

“A project in the mining field is only successful when it establishes the economic environmental and social balance”, said Stavileci, by adding that students of Faculty of Geosciences are the future cadre, by either being in the sectorial policymaking, or as a part of a qualified workforce which can stand the challenges of time.

Furthermore, the head of MED said that adoption of the Law on Strategic Investments created a new window of opportunities for investments in certain sectors. The first sectors mentioned in this law are energy and mining. Thus, investors that are already in Kosovo and those wanting to invest see it as a good opportunity to invest in the mining sector.

The rector of Mitrovica University “Isa Boletini” Alush Musaj said that the mining sector in Kosovo is seen as a man only sector, however women are the key element of development in this sector. “We think that Kosovo is moving towards development by offering programs such as this one to students. I hope students will be able to use the opportunity that was given here today and I think that these students will be working in the future for e more developed Kosovo”, he said.

Whereas, Serpil Demirel, director of ESAN said that this company is interested for investments in the mining sector in Kosovo and is therefore conducting research in this country since 2011. “We are here to finalise investments. We have two licenses for research and we will continue with researches in three other zones. We are at the prefeasibility stage and we have a business plan for investments”, said Demirel.

Otherwise, ESAN Company manages nine mines in the Republic of Turkey and last year it managed to export over 200 million Dollars’ worth of mineral products. ESAN expanded its activity in Italy, Ukraine, China and Portugal and in other continents of the world.

Esan Kosova, the representation office of this company in the Republic of Kosovo is active since 2010 and has so far spent 1.5 million Euros in mineral research in several locations in the country.