Prishtina, July 22nd 2022
The Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, participated in the Solar Forum in Kosovo for 2022, which aims to promote investments in renewable energy sources and was organized by the Ministry of Economy, with the support of the USAID Development Agency.
Prime Minister Kurti started his speech with the global energy crisis and unprecedented challenges in this sector. He emphasized that the issue of energy remains a high priority of the Government.
“As the Government of the Republic of Kosovo, we are working intensively towards guaranteeing a reliable and affordable supply for all citizens and businesses. This supply will promote the environmental protection agenda and at the same time lead our socio-economic transformation, as part of the just energy transition”, declared Prime Minister Kurti.
He emphasized that the work led by the Ministry of Economy has laid the foundations for the next 10 years and has a vision for energy for the next 30 years. The Energy Strategy 2022-2031, as well as the Law on Renewable Energy Sources, for the first time pave Kosovo’s way towards energy transition and decarbonization by placing renewable energy sources at its center, he said.
According to the head of the Government, dedication and work for necessary cross-sectoral reforms are key to attract large and comprehensive investments for the country and its development. “And when these efforts are combined with the momentum we have this year for the energy sector, we certainly expect great developments in this sector,” said the prime minister.
While talking about the goals for the next decades in terms of energy, Prime Minister Kurti said that they are materializing them with concrete and significant projects such as the Solar Park in KEK, Solar4Kosovo, the launch of the first solar auction that is intended to be held at the end of the year, and the largest investment in the country over the past two decades, the MCC Compact Program, which will be signed next week in Washington.
Prime Minister Kurti’s full speech:
Honorable Minister of Economy, Mrs. Artane Rizvanolli
Honorable Ambassador of the United States of America in Kosovo, Jeffrey Hovenier,
Honorable present,
Ladies and gentlemen,
At this time when the whole globe is facing unprecedented challenges in the energy sector and with the energy transition we are all going through, it is obvious that the energy sector and issue remains our high priority.
Both, overcoming the world energy crisis and the energy transition have three key elements at the center: the first, guaranteeing the security of supply for every citizen of the Republic of Kosovo, the second, ensuring the affordability of energy costs, and the third, diversification of energy sources that we use.
This year, our work led by the Ministry of Economy has laid the foundations for the next 10 years and has a vision for the next 30 years. The Energy Strategy 2022 – 2031, as well as the Law on Renewable Energy Sources, for the first time pave Kosovo’s path towards energy transition and decarbonization by placing renewable energy sources at its center.
We are materializing these goals for the following decades with concrete and significant projects such as the Solar Park in KEK, Solar4Kosovo, the launch of the first solar auction that we intend to do at the end of the year, as well as the largest investment in the country for two decades the latest, the MCC Compact Program, which will be signed next week in Washington.
As the Government of the Republic of Kosovo, we are working intensively towards guaranteeing a reliable and affordable supply for all citizens and businesses. This supply will promote the environmental protection agenda and at the same time lead our socio-economic transformation as part of the just energy transition.
Our dedication and work for necessary cross-sectoral reforms are key to attract large and comprehensive investments for the country and its development. And when these efforts are combined with the momentum we have this year for the energy sector, we are sure to expect great developments in this sector.
The Compact Program and the accumulative capacities that will be accumulated with the Millennium Challenge Corporation grant will place Kosovo for the first time at the forefront of world energy developments. Such innovation serves the sector and serves the country. And such innovation is enabled by alternative energy sources and our green transition.
I want to thank the representatives of the United States of America in Kosovo, who are an essential part of our energy transition and development, and in particular the USAID Development Agency, whose leader, Mrs. Zeinah Salahi, is here with us, for the continuous contribution in this Solar Forum.
Together with Ambassador Hovenier and Minister Rizvanolli, we will then visit the Solar Fair and I invite all the participants who are here today to join us to see closely the goods and services offered by local solar companies, as well as the possibilities of renewable energy sources which are already being offered in Kosovo.
Last modified: July 23, 2022