Rafuna: Kosovo's exclusion from the US gas project would send a bad message

Kosovo's inclusion in the US liquefied natural gas (LNG) project is necessary for the country's energy security and economic development, while remaining outside these initiatives would send a negative message regarding strategic relations with the United States, said Kosovo Chamber of Commerce President Lulzim Rafuna, as reported by Ekonomia Online.

According to him, Kosovo is the only place in the Western Balkans that remains outside regional US gas projects, while others in the region are advancing energy cooperation with the United States through concrete agreements.

"We view this with concern because Kosovo is currently the only one left outside the US gas network. We witnessed that on the same day Albania signed an agreement with Greece on US gas, Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina signed a similar agreement with the support of the United States, allowing Bosnia and Herzegovina to receive gas through the Krk terminal. These agreements go beyond the issue of gas itself because they bring economic benefits, contribute to economic development, and enable independence from Russian gas," Rafuna told Ekonomia Online.

He stressed that such an agreement would bring both economic and strategic benefits to Kosovo.

"Kosovo must not remain the only one without access to US gas. In addition to economic benefits, such an agreement would also bring stronger strategic ties with the United States, which is important for Kosovo's future, both in terms of security and the economy, as well as in other areas," Rafuna said.

He warned that rejecting such an agreement would have negative consequences for relations with the United States.

"That would be the worst possible message. We have witnessed how much investment and support America has provided to Kosovo, especially after 1999, but also today. As a Chamber of Commerce, without the support of the United States, we would not be able to secure many international services that we offer to the business community, such as the barcode system, certificates of origin, or ATA carnets, whose introduction is in its final stage," Rafuna emphasized.

According to him, US support has also been crucial for Kosovo's international integration.

"Membership in numerous international organizations was achieved with the help of the United States, and that support must not be lost because we remain outside the US gas project. We must stay aligned with the United States and urgently join this initiative. Kosovo should have been the first country in the Balkans to sign an agreement on US gas with the US government," Rafuna added.

The US Embassy in Pristina has repeatedly called on Kosovo to join the US LNG project. In early June, Chargé d'Affaires Anu Prattipati stated that Kosovo is failing to meet its growing energy needs, citing customs data showing that €735 million had been spent on electricity imports over the past four years. She also pointed out that if energy prices and demand continue to rise, Kosovo will become increasingly dependent on energy supplies from neighboring countries.

In a recent Kosovo Online analysis, interviewees pointed out that the United States has no hidden motives, but rather seeks to push Russia out of the energy sector in the Western Balkans and sell its own gas.