Turkey has helped successfully resolve a long-running dispute over electricity distribution in Serb-majority municipalities in northern Kosovo, TRT World reported.
The Kosovo Electricity Distribution Company (KEDS), managed by the consortium of the leading Turkish holdings Limak and Çalik, signed a contract with the Serbian company Elektrosever, which was a step towards solving the electricity distribution problem that has been bothering the local population for years.
Miroslav Lajcak, EU Special Representative for the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue, welcomed the signing of the contract between KEDS and Elektrosever in a statement in X.
"This is an important step in the implementation of the EU-supported Energy Roadmap and on the way to normalizing relations between Kosovo and Serbia. Congratulations to all who made this possible!" Lajcak stated.
In its statement, KEDS also welcomed the signing of the electricity distribution contract in the northern Kosovo municipalities of Severna Mitrovica, Zvechan, Leposavich and Zubin Potok after a long and delicate process and congratulated the parties involved.
Ankara described the agreement as an important step that contributes to the normalization process.
Since the end of the Kosovo war in June 1999, electricity bills have not been paid in Serb-majority municipalities in the north of the country, with the financial burden borne by the Kosovo government.
According to official data, the situation, which has been going on for almost 24 years now, has resulted in a total cost to the authorities in Pristina of 320 million euros by the beginning of 2023.
Nabila Masralli, the EU's foreign affairs and security policy spokesperson, praised the signing of the trade deal.
"This is an important step towards the full implementation of the Energy Roadmap which was agreed in June 2022 under the EU-facilitated dialogue and enables the implementation of the 2013 and 2015 energy agreements," it said. in her position.
"The conclusion of this contract means that Elektrosever will start supplying electricity to the four municipalities with a predominantly Serbian population in Northern Kosovo. This will put an end to the unregulated current practice," she noted. /BGNES
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