Berlin, 7 May 2010. – “Kosovo is bound to accomplish its objective of becoming a free homeland to all its citizens, irrespective of their ethnicity or religion, to offer a chance for an overall progress and to move quickly towards integration and other major processes to take place in the European Union”, the President of Republic of Kosovo, Dr. Fatmir Sejdiu said today in a keynote speech held at the reception that was staged for him and the Kosovo Delegation by the German-Kosovar Business Association in Berlin, where he was also received by the President of this Association, Jürgen Kosian.
“We have had good experiences so far, and now we need to attract foreign investment and an international political support in order to move quickly towards integration processes”, President Sejdiu said.
Speaking before German business representatives, many of whom involved in the market of the Republic of Kosovo, President Sejdiu said that Kosovo’s entry in the Euro Zone has contributed to an economic stability in our country.
President Sejdiu said that several major banks are operating in Kosovo, besides many international companies. However, he has asked from them, and from all other banks, to reduce their interest rates and to try to find a common interest with the people, now that they have gained their trust.
“It is difficult for me to see how a bank applies lower interest rates in a neighboring country and higher rates in Kosovo”, President Sejdiu said.
He said that time has come to do more to boost communication and cooperation and to exchange experiences, and called for a higher German investment in Kosovo.
The Minister of Economy and Finance, Ahmet Shala, and the Minister of Trade and Industry, Lutfi Zharku then provided a longer presentation on business opportunities that Kosovo offers in every field.
On the other hand, German businessmen said that they were interested in details concerning investment opportunities in major fields in Kosovo, such as energy, mining, waste management and production.
Accompanied by the delegation that he was leading, President Sejdiu visited the Potsdam City Palace, where he became acquainted with the history of the Palace, build in early 17th century and used a museum for more than two centuries now, which is very important to the German history.
President Sejdiu recapitulated his visit to Germany in a statement following his visit to Potsdam.
“It was a visit of a special importance. Meetings that I had with the President, the Chancellor, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the President of the Bundestag and other meetings served to reassure us of a strong support that Germany is providing to Kosovo”, President Sejdiu said, adding that his interlocutors have promised him that the current level of investment will be maintained, as always.
“For us it is very important that the German position on independence, sovereignty and integrity of Republic of Kosovo was strongly confirmed, including the German efforts to talk the friend countries into recognizing the Republic of Kosovo and to maintain their interest in investing in certain fields in Kosovo”, President Sejdiu said.
“The visit also served to mark the beginning of a new era of interstate cooperation and to build on the role that Kosovo has played in an important partnership for peace and stability”, he emphasized.
President Sejdiu also informed that he has invited President Köhler and Chancellor Merkal to visit the Republic of Kosovo.
In the course of multiple activities carried out during the official two-day visit to Germany, President Sejdiu visited the Konrad Adenauer Foundation. In the beginning, President Sejdiu had a separate meeting with the President of the Foundation, Prof. Dr. Hans-Gert Pöttering, and then addressed a selected audience with a lecture on the topic “Kosovo Two Years after Independence and its Euro-Atlantic Perspective”.