"Norway Invest" launches website against investments in Kosovo <http://www.emportal.rs/en/news/serbia/85122.html>
13. April 2009. | 09:05 Source: Koha Ditore, BBC Monitoring, Comtex City: Priština Author: Lulzim Demolli Photo: Nikos D.A. Arvanites * The webpage has already been activated, although it still lacks documents and facts to prove how risky the investments in Kosova are. Its founders claim that they have decided to launch this webpage in order to provide a non-political forum that would help Kosova improve itself. Pristina says people from Kosovo behind campaign discouraging foreign investment * "Don't Invest in Kosovo" <http://www.dontinvestinkosovo.com>is the name of a domain created recently as part of a campaign to discourage foreign investments in Kosova [Kosovo]. The campaign, launched by the Norwegian company Norway Invest is a response to what it calls "millions of euros of waste" in Kosova. The webpage www.dontinvestinkosovo.com <http://www.dontinvestinkosovo.com> has already been activated, although it still lacks documents and facts to prove how risky the investments in Kosova are. Its founders claim that they have decided to launch this webpage in order to provide a non-political forum that would help Kosova improve itself. "This web page is expected to be completed on 1 May 2009, and the founders have decided that this web page will be a 'non-political forum' for all those who have any interest in following the expected changes for a better Kosova, in all respects," reads the recently launched website, which also makes references to issues that will "be clarified" in this page. Besides Albanian, materials are also available in English, Italian, French, Serbian and Norwegian. Meanwhile, Kosova Government representatives say that it is not up to them to stop this campaign against investments in Kosova. Government Spokesman Memli Krasniqi says that this campaign is being run by individuals from Kosova, who are trying to give a bad image of Kosova because of their personal interests. These individuals, according to him, will fail against the high number of those interested in investing in Kosova. "We regret that some individuals from Kosova, because of their personal interests, are taking such steps. We cannot do anything to stop such statements because of freedom of speech, but we know that they will not achieve anything in that way," said Krasniqi. He called on the website <http://www.dontinvestinkosovo.com>'s founders to approach the courts in order to be compensated for the losses they might have suffered. "Such web pages cannot compete against the big interest shown by investors. There are thousands of other examples that speak about the advantages of investing in Kosova, and incentives for potential investors. This is demonstrated by numerous investments made recently by foreign investors," he said. Norway Invest <http://www.unmikonline.org/press/2004/mon/feb/lmm140204.pdf>attorney Betim Shala had anticipated that all relevant papers showing "how dangerous it is to invest in Kosova" would be published on this webpage. This entire campaign, according to him, is an act of revenge against the Post and Telecommunications of Kosova [PTK] and the Privatization Agency of Kosova [PAK], a successor of Kosova Trust Agency [KTA], for discontinuing a contract worth 300,000 euros, as well as other abundant sources of income that would have materialized once the project was implemented. "Potential future investors will be able to see for themselves what kind of challenges and risks foreign investors have to deal with in Kosova, both before and after their investments are completed. This corrupt system and open systematic abuse by the Kosova authorities at the highest levels has been used with huge success in Russia, where several investors have been ruined, and thereafter jailed for unknown reasons," said Shala in a statement distributed a few weeks ago. Back in 2003, this company signed a contract <http://www.unmikonline.org/press/2003/mon/Dec/lmm161203.pdf>with PTK for a project called TETRA, which envisaged the launching of a programme that would enable the staff of public services such as the police, customs and so on, to have a special form of communication. The lawyer said that this company has sued the PTK, and PAK as the KTA's successor for damages and losses caused to the company. In his view, Norway Invest is seeking compensation for these losses. The contract was signed by former [PTK] director Leme Xhema, convicted last year by a Kosova court for abuse of authority and resources. Along with her, Mustafe Neziri, Norway Invest director for Kosova, was also convicted for fraudulent contracts. A statement by Norway Invest read that these individuals were convicted on the basis of fabricated evidence. "All these [unlawful] acts and systematic abuses by different Kosova authorities may sound unbelievable, however, they have continued and have been supported by the Kosova courts themselves," read the statement issued by this company a few weeks ago. Despite the dissatisfaction of Norway Invest, the header on the webpage expresses hope that this page will one day end up being called: "It's Safe To Invest in Kosovo" Serbian News Network - SNN [email protected] http://www.antic.org/
