The Embassy of the Republic of Kosovo in Switzerland is organizing a conference about the investment opportunities in Kosovo. The conference will be taking place on 26 November 2009 in the Kosovar Embassy in Bern.

High representatives of the Kosovar Government and of Investment Promotion Agency of Kosovo will be informing the participants about the investment climate and investment opportunities in Kosovo. In addition, Swiss companies which have already invested in Kosovo will be reporting about their experiences.

Date: 26 November 2009, 15:00 – 17:00

Venue: Amthausgasse 3, 3012 Bern

A senior government delegation including Hon Ahmet Shala, Minister of Economy and Finance; Hon Lutfi Zharku, Minister of trade and Industry; Mr Hashim Rexhepi, Governor of the Central Bank and more, will be in London to showcase the many investment opportunities Kosovo offers to UK and European investors.

This unique, invitation only event, will profile some of the major business sectors within Kosovo’s economy such as ICTs, SME development, energy and infrastructure, set on the background of Kosovo’s development as a prosperous independent state on the world economic and political stage, having joined the IMF and World Bank, and with wide recognition amongst its regional neighbours as well as within NATO and the EU.

Kosovo located in the nexus between the huge markets of Europe, the Middle East and Asia, and therefore ideally placed to exploit its competitive advantage in this regard, and maximise returns from the trade routes between them. The IMF has predicted growth of 4-5% for Kosovo in 2010, and with the second largest coal reserves in Europe, Kosovo is well placed to combine traditional with emerging sectors to secure its growth and development in the coming years.

The event is jointly being organised by the Embassy of Kosovo and Developing Markets Associates Ltd (DMA), a specialist development and emerging market investment consultancy based in London.

To be held at the prestigious One Whitehall Place in Westminster, the event will be followed by a reception hosted by Rt Hon John Grogan MP, Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Kosovo.

For further information, please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , or call DMA on +44 (0)20 7700 1990.

The Republic of Kosovo Minister for Energy and Mining, Justina Pula, after the first meeting of the members of the Steering Committee for the “Kosova e Re” project, told the daily Kosova Sot that the new power plant will have a capacity of over 1,000 megawatts. It might be built in two phases, with 500 megawatts each time, or in three phases with 300 megawatts per phase; however, this issue is expected to be decided by the investor.

This is not the only news regarding the project, reports the daily, explaining that on 17 November, the Steering Committee will again meet with representatives of the World Bank, USAID, the European Commission, with other participants in this project also expected to attend. “At this meeting, the transaction advisors, after they have completed their assessment, will recommend to the Steering Committee the best option for the project so as to complete the power plant in a very short term,” says a press release issued by the Ministry of Energy and Mining.

The daily has also learned that due to an increase in competition, a decision to re-advertise the tender for the 1,000-megawatt “Kosova e Re” power plant is expected to be made next week, and the tender process is expected to undergo accelerated procedures.

Discussions at yesterday’s meeting of the Steering Committee focused on an analysis of implementation of the project after the withdrawal of two bidders (due to the global economic crisis) which limited the financial means available for realization of other projects. “It was stressed at the meeting that these factors should be taken into consideration in the context of continuance of transactions and successful completion of this project,” says the announcement.

After an assessment was carried out by the projects legal advisors, it was confirmed that the project could continue with two bidders. “However, it was said at the meeting that it is necessary to asses whether this represents the best manner and process to draw maximal profits for Kosovo,” the announcement reads.

Kosova Sot reports that only Kosovars were present at this meeting. Apart from Minister Justina Pula, other ministers of the Kosovo Government, as well as the heads of independent regulators for mining and energy were present to discuss developments regarding the “Kosova e Re” project.

The Republic of Kosovo and the Republic of France have signed  cooperation agreement customs on Tuesday in Paris, marking a further step of strengthening trade ties between both countries.

The head of the Republic of Kosovo Customs, Naim Huruglica, has vowed to cooperate with the Republic of France Customs in the field of exchange of data as well as experiences.

"The agreement was signed by the Director-General of Customs of the Republic of Kosovo, Naim Huruglica, and the Customs Director General of the Republic of France, Jerome Fournel, and aims at establishing cooperation between the two institutions in the field the exchange of data as well as in the field of exchanging experiences, "said the notice issued by the Customs office for information of the Republic of Kosovo.

This is the second international agreement signed in the field of Customs for Kosovo Customs, after that with Albania, while in the process of negotiation are also 18 other agreements with countries that are trade partners with Kosovo.