The Prime Minister of Kosovo, Ramush Haradinaj, has opened the 15th meeting of the Ministerial Council of the Energy Community, in which he expressed the government's commitment to drafting policies for integration in the regional electricity market.
On this occasion, the Prime Minister said that they are maximally engaged in aligning the legislation with the directives of the European Union and for the implementation in practice, seeking for this the support of the European Commission.
In this meeting, Haradinaj also announced the reaching of the agreement for the construction of the "Kosova e Re" thermal power plant, for which he said that the value of this investment is 1 billion and 300 million euros, and with this a stable energy situation will be ensured , conveys ex.
"The current challenges faced by Kosovo, being limited in the management of energy flows in the regional market and the non-operationalization of the 400 kilowatt line Kosovo - Albania, we must find a solution, with the contribution of all of us together, and I believe that we will get everyone's support for this. The alignment of the EU directives with the legislation of the contracting parties is a necessary step. Implementation in practice requires many times greater commitment. We are aware of this and are maximally engaged, however we still ask for your support, with special emphasis on the support of the European Commission", said Haradinaj.
He said that the success of the formation of the energy market is a prerequisite and guarantee for the integration of other markets within the Berlin Process.
"I would like to conclude with a piece of news that you all already know. Kosovo has reached an agreement with a serious private investor for investment in energy, for a new thermal power plant that is 500 Megawatts and which has an investment value of 1 billion and 300 million euros and which starts with implementation from next year. With this, we believe that we will create a stable energy situation in Kosovo, at the same time advancing in clean energy because the technology with which we produce energy now is an early technology and not friendly to the environment", he said.
Christopher Jones, representative of the European Commission, has spoken about renewable energy, showing how many benefits it has brought to the countries of the European Union.
"In the EU, a method is being developed to increase jobs. We have more than 1 million people working in renewable energy in the European Union. We have almost 1 million people working in energy efficiency. The European Commission has offered grants for 144 million euros and, moreover, within the framework for investments in the Western Balkans, so far we have given 54 grand for 100 million. Today we are also launching a process that keeps the Energy Committee up to date with global developments and ensures the Energy Community is an engine for growth and prosperity in the region. "A long-term vision that creates clear signals for the economy is essential to create this opportunity for life. This work will facilitate and encourage the necessary investments that are good for businesses, the environment and consumers," said Jones.
Otherwise, Kosovo today hosted the meeting of the XV Ministerial Council of the Energy Community.
The 15th Ministerial Council of the Energy Community brings together the ministers responsible for energy of the nine contracting parties of the Energy Community Treaty; Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Kosovo, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Serbia and Ukraine and the European Union.
TKE in this session will focus on the general developments of energy policies, the new European energy legislation, the annual report on TKE activities and the budget for the year 2018-2019.