TIRANA, Dec. 1 – The Durres Port Authority has opened its first representation office in Kosovo capital, Prishtina, in an effort to increase trade exchanges with the neighbouring country following the construction of the new highway cutting distance between the two countries to 2.5 hours. Ragip Grainca, the representative of the Durres Port Authority in Prishtina is optimistic more than half of Kosovo imports and exports will be handled in Durres port by next year.
Data from the Kosovo customs offices show Kosovo’s trade exchanges from Durres port accounted for only 20 percent of the total during the first half of this year. Some 80 percent of Kosovo’s trade exchanges was handled in the traditional Tivar and Thessaloniki ports, Montenegro and Greece respectively.
Kosovo imports and exports through sea routes are estimated at 4 million tons a year.
However, the situation after July 2010 seems to have changed and more Kosovo transport companies are showing interest to use the Durres Port, Albania’s biggest, also because of lower transport costs compared to other neighbouring ports.
Ragip Grainca told the local Durres newspaper in an interview published on the port’s website that the use of Durres port would reduce transport tariffs by at least 20 percent compared to the Nis-Tivar-Prishtina route.
“The Serb companies will be convinced when seeing the security the Durres Port offers. The material and economic benefits will overcome different political or national barriers we have with Serbia. Our representation office will also work to connect with Southern Serbia businesses.”
The Durres Port’s latest initiative to deepen its basin in order to handle commercial ships with a capacity of over 30,000 tons would also favour the transport of Kosovo minerals.
Kosovo has also started building its part of highway from Prishtina to the Albanian border of Morine to complete the “Highway of Nation” between Albanians.
Commercial ships from 154 ports from 35 countries all over the world arrived in Durres this year. Recent data show the country’s biggest port handled 1.9 million tons of goods during the first 10 months of this year.
The Port of Durres is by far the largest commercial port in Albania, transporting on average around 80 per cent of the country’s international ship-borne traffic. The port is currently involved in four main activities, ferry operations, cargo operations, container operations and oil storage operations. Durres Port, owned by the Albanian government, is a core part of the regional transport network in Southeast Europe, and an important centre for international trade and travel. Last summer, it inaugurated a new passenger terminal worth 15.2 million euros.
Shengjin Port
The Albanian government has reiterated its commitment to put the northern Shengjin port at the disposal of landlocked Kosovo. Its reconstruction and modernization would have special impact on the development of Kosovo and even the region.
Kosovo’s Trade and Industry Ministry said two months ago it was working on a feasibility study to find the best ways to make the port available for Kosovo businesses.
Albania has in principle agreed to grant its northern Shengjin port to landlocked Kosovo.
Last year, Prime Minister Sali Berisha expressed his readiness to put the Shengjin port at Kosovo’s disposal. The Shengjin port is about 90 kilometers north of capital Tirana and about 100 kilometers west of Kosovo.
