Minierat në Dardani

[dodoni]

Para disa ditësh dëgjova lajmin se një kompani amerikane është e interesuar të investojë 500 milionë dollarë në minierat në Dardani, me ç'rast do të punësoj 5000 veta si fillim.

Industria minerare në Dardani vlerësohet rreth 13 miliardë dollarë.

Poashtu, dëgjova se një kompani tjetër amerikane është e interesuar që të investojë në kërkime për minerale tjera që supozohet se gjenden në dheun e Dardanisë sonë shqiptare.

Ka mundësi të na sjell kush më shumë informacione lidhur me këto investime.

Tung

[Qerim]

Kosovo: a land of plenty or a wasteland?


Before the start of the current talks, the political director of the British Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that a contact group intended to give independence to Kosovo. Europe will stand by its decision and it only remains to make sure that Kosovo does not set a precedent for other dependent regions. UN Special Envoy Marti Ahtisaari recently denounced independence of the Albanian autonomy during talks on the status of Kosovo. According to observers Serbia has accepted the loss of authority and is now engaged in resolving the problems of the Serbian minority in independent Kosovo. They are also striving to maintain links with the territory. The region is considered the “spiritual heart” of the nation. Serbians brought Christianity to the region in the 5-6th century and there are now more than 2000 orthodox churches and monasteries in the region which is 10 000 square metres in size.





However, the economic implications are no less important: what resources and assets does Kosovo have? Is it worth fighting over these? How will self-governance work? Various assessments have been made. Kosovo is characterized as Serbia ’s main area of resources, but also as an impoverished and depressed province. At first glance it becomes clear that these views are not without basis. However, each of these opinions gives rises to political powers with sordid motives and creates legends.

The topic of Kosovo’s “magical riches” was first raised ten years ago when Kosovo-Albanians decided to separate from Yugoslavia. At the time information about the region’s resources was revealed; its huge quantity of chromium (20% of the world’s), nickel, zinc, magnesium, copper, mercury, silver, gold, bismuth and other rare metals. It has been estimated that Kosovo’s coal, natural gas and metals are worth in total $500 billion. Thus the Serbians do not wish to lose Kosovo and dreams of exploiting the natural riches of this “native Albanian” land. In recounting tales of its wealth, Kosovo-Albanians have an ulterior motive which is to attract international interest. Kosovo is about to realize this aim since it is separating from Serbia . Paradoxically Belgrade at this stage has begun to support talk of Kosovo’s wealth in its political interests. Serbia claimed in 1999 that the West’s desire to acquire Kosovo’s resources was the reason behind NATO’s aggression. Now this idea has resurfaced and they want Serbia to give up their resources and force them instead to buy them abroad.
Is there actually anything of worth in Kosovo? First of all, there is practically no chromium there and in actual fact over 90% of the world’s stock of this metal is found in South Africa , Kazakhstan and Zimbabwe . The largest reserve in the Balkans is in Albania where 0.19% of the world’s chromium is to be found. In Serbia the figure is yet lower. There is of course some chromium in Kosovo, but they have been extracting it for over a hundred years and so the reserves have almost run out. The same is the case for nickel and magnesium. There are supplies of coal, lead and zinc supplies and there is also a small quantity of cadmium, copper, silver or gold. It is, however, of poor quality. The mining company Trepcha, which has existed for over 70 years, has in recent years lowered production due to lack of raw materials. There is only enough coal to power one power plant.


On the other hand, Serbian experts point out that the natural resources have not yet run out. In their opinion the potential resources in the region are far from used up. They are sure that there are still large deposits of coal, lead and zinc, chromium, gold, silver and nickel. According to Serbian calculations, there is 70-100 millions tonnes of lead and 7-12 billion tonnes of coal. Only the political instability of the autonomy does not allow them to explore and obtain the natural resources. Out of the 16 lead and zinc mines only two are in use and out of the numerous coal pits only one is still working.

The majority of exploration work was carried out in Kosovo a few decades ago. In the 1960s people looked for oil and it was found in three out of four boreholes. However, this information was not sufficient for the drawing up of proposed oil reserves. All this documentation has been lost somewhere. . .

Thus today the quantity of Kosovo’s natural resources remains a mystery. The resources that are still left in the country are of definite worth and this does not take into account the $500million that Yugoslavia invested in Kosovo. This explains Serbia ’s current enthusiasm to fight to keep this region.

As concerns self-governance, it may not turn out to be not such a bad thing. Having become independent, Kosovo could sell her resources to Serbia . This would be essential for the development of her infrastructure. At the current time the region’s economy is in a poor state: the majority of mines, industrial plants and major businesses are not in use, farming industry is in decline and 50% of the population is unemployed (70% amongst young people). This has given rise to illegal weapons dealing, drug trafficking and people trading. The remainder of the regions’ industry is controlled by mafia groups. It is doubtful that if Kosovo suddenly becomes an independent state that there will be mass foreign investment into the region. It is questionable whether the region would be able to make use of its economic potential.


Moreover, Kosovo could become the new Palestine , an unstable region which will rely on foreign aid. Special Envoy to the UN Marti Ahtisaari, after a trip to the region last year, said that the outlook for Kosovo was bleak. He considered that independence would threaten the whole region and could have disastrous consequences as regards the region’s safety. In the first instance Bosnia and Herzegovina would be under threat, a country which has a very diverse population with Serbians being one the nationalities living there. High-ranking EU Minster Xavier Solana has already voiced his concerns. The opinions and assessments of the situation by international diplomats have greatly changed in recent times. Perhaps Kosovo within two months will have changed for the better. Although it is unlikely, someone may find the “magical riches.”

[dodoni]

Ky shkrim qenka shkruar nga ndonje serb apo ndonje pro-serb diku sepse po manipulon faktet. Serbet ne Ballkan kane ardhur gjate shekujve 7-9 pas eres se re, dmth. nuk e kane sjellur ata krishterimin ne Ballkan. Kishat e vjetra qe gjenden ne Dardani, jane kisha shqiptare, dhe edhe ato serbe te vjetra qe jane, ne themele jane kisha shqiptare. Po ne Ulpiane (Prishtina e sotme) kemi dy nga martiret e pare te Krishterimit, Shen Florin dhe Shen Laurin, qe kane qene shqiptare-ilire, qindra vjet para se sllavet te vinin ne Ballkan, kohe kur ata kane qene duke jetuar ne shpella te Karpateve.

Ketu thote qe ish-Zhugosllavia ka investuar 500 milione dollare ne Kosove por nuk i permend faktet qe Trepca ka punuar per buxhetin federal te Zhugosllavise dhe ka qene eksportuesi me i madh i gjithe ish-Zhugosllavise, pastaj qe KEK-u ka furnizuar pothuajse gjithe ish-Zhugosllavine me energji elektrike per dekada te tera. Sikur edhe vetem 10% te shumes qe kane marre, te kishin investuar ne Dardani, Dardania do i kishte shume me mire punet sot.


Pastaj, manipulimi tjeter vjen ne deklaraten e Ahtisarit, qe nuk eshte e vertete fare qe ai ka thene qe pavaresia e Dardanise kercenon stabilitetin e rajonit. Asnjehere nuk e ka thene nje gje te tille. Pastaj, jo vetem Dardania ka probleme ekonomike por edhe i gjithe Ballkani, dhe jane duke marre ndihma te gjitha shtetet e Ballkanit gjithe kohen, sepse nuk jane ne gjendje qe te mbajne veten asnjera.

Tung

PS: Qerim, mos na sill shkrime te tilla, se nuk na duhen fare, po te duam shkrime keshtu mund te futemi tek faqet e serbeve dhe kemi me mijera shkrime te tilla.

[Qerim]

Kosovo Delegation Meets Saudi Businessmen



Arab News - 20/08/2006




In a meeting held yesterday, a delegation from the Kosovo Chamber of Commerce delivered a presentation to a group of businessmen at the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry about positive investment opportunities in Kosovo.

Coming out of a destructive war and going through a transition phase from socialism to capitalism, Kosovo is now open and eager for foreign investment, especially from Muslim countries.

The delegation presented incentives and opportunities available to a small but interested audience of businesses from different sectors in Saudi Arabia including the tourism, agriculture and industrial sectors.

Mustafa Lutolli, official Arabic translator speaking on behalf of Safet Gerxhaliu from the Office for International Economic Affairs, who had to travel to Germany to sign a trade agreement, explained that Kosovo is privatizing all government owned properties and businesses except the railway, postal services and television.

"There is a process ongoing now and will continue for a few years of transferring ownership from the government to the private sector by selling them under the supervision of the UN. We invite you to come and participate in the bidding. The prices are very attractive. There are already western investors but we would like to have Muslim investors," he said.

The Kosovo Chamber's role is to facilitate and provide information to potential investors. The list of business and the bidding participation deadlines are posted on the country's and chamber's website www.odaekonomike.org.

Lutolli spoke of the rich mining sector in Kosovo, the natural and mineral water sector which he said is as good as France's, the agriculture and livestock sector, the food and dairy industry sector as well as the tourism sector, all of which are very high quality but have suffered in the long civil war and are in need of development.

Advantages cited by the delegation in investing Kosovo include cheap labor, proximity to the European market and usage of the Euro in transactions as well as positive investment incentives such as guarantees by the World Bank and some international banks, new relaxed investment regulations and less taxes.

Reconstruction and construction projects are very important now in Kosovo especially of vital infrastructure, essential facilities and factories.

The Kosovan Ministry of Trade and Industry organized a trade fair last month in the capital Prishtina exhibiting all the different investment opportunities in Kosovo and some businesses from other countries, which included a booth by the Saudi Al-Ansar Hotels from Madinah that signed an agreement with the Ministry of Endowments to facilitate Kosovans coming for Haj and Umrah.

It was suggested at the end of the discussions yesterday that the delegation and the Saudi businessmen organize an exhibition or seminar in Saudi Arabia soon.