Partners from Kalo & Associates law firm, from both the Tirana and Prishtina office attended the Vienna Economic Forum (VEF) that was held for the first time in Prishtina, Kosovo (the firm also sponsored the event). More than some 180 business and institution representatives from 19 countries attended, many of whom we are already familiar with, to discuss the investment opportunities in Kosovo this year and in the next years to come. The meeting was organized and held by the VEF on 25 and 26 March, under the patronage of the Kosovar Prime Minister, Hashim Thaci.
The Managing Partner of both the Tirana and Prishtina office, Mr Perparim Kalo, was a speaker in one of the round table panels that was moderated by the Director of the Kosovo Investment Promotion Agency Mr Mustafe Hasani, and he talked on the topic of investment policy and opportunities for concrete projects in Kosovo with a focus on energy, infrastructure and finances. Mr Kalo not only introduced the services of Kalo & Associates but was also able to highlight the key legal issues investors always wish to address first when considering investment in emerging markets, and perhaps more so in such large investment opportunities, which included enforcement of court judgements/remedies, property rights (including IP), security facilities, tax regime and exit strategies.
The Prime Minister had stressed how open and welcoming Kosova was to foreign investment, and in fact the Kosova Central Bank announced that foreign investments in Kosovo in 2008 were at the amount of EUR 350 million. Some of the larger projects talked of were the new Airport concession, Motorway from Morinë- Pristina- Merdare (Route No 7),PTK privatization;Privatization of KEK Distribution Network and Supply, Construction of the new generating capacities from lignite known as Kosova C.The Government has also selected 18 locations for construction of 18 small hydro power plants to be financed through the private investment.
Finally, the Investment Promotion Agency and Agency for Support of the SME is inviting small and medium enterprises to apply for establishing their businesses in to the “Business Park in Drenas”, an area of 24 ha with the capacity to accommodate 76 business units mainly of manufacturing and services as part of the future industrial zone with about 130 ha in an attractive location in the central part of Kosovo 5 km from Prishtina International Airport.
To view the power point presentation presented by Mr Kalo at the VEF please follow this link.