KOSOVO: PISG AND WORLD BANK AGREE ON A WAY FORWARD

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 PRISTINA 000545 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPT FOR EUR/SCE, EB/IFD/OIA, EB/CBA DEPT PLEASE PASS TO OPIC AID FOR EE/ECA, EE/DGSR NSC FOR BRAUN USDOC FOR CEEBIC, 4232/ITA/MAC/EUR/OEERIS/CEED/SSAVICH TREASURY FOR EUROPE & EURASIA FRANKFURT FOR TREASURY E. MEYER E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ENRG ECON EFIN EINV PREL YI SUBJECT: KOSOVO: PISG AND WORLD BANK AGREE ON A WAY FORWARD FOR ENERGY SECTOR DEVELOPMENT REFS: (A) PRISTINA 321 (B) PRISTINA 141 PRISTINA 00000545 001.2 OF 003 ¶1. (U) Sensitive but unclassified; protect accordingly. ¶2. (SBU) Summary. The Provisional Institutions of Self- Government (PISG) and the international community, led by the World Bank, have reached agreement on a way forward for development of Kosovo's energy sector. The parties have resolved contentious timeline differences and adopted spring 2007 (coincidently just after the likely determination of Kosovo's final political status) as the target for launching a tender for selection of the builders of a massive mining and power generation complex. End Summary MEM AND WORLD BANK REACH AGREEMENT ON A WAY FORWARD -------------- -------------- ¶3. (SBU) In a June 16 meeting with USG officials, Peter Thomson, World Bank (WB) Director for Infrastructure in Europe and Central Asia, said he and Minister of Energy and Mining Ethem Ceku had reached an agreement earlier that day on a way forward for Kosovo's energy sector development. Thomson described the centerpiece of the agreement as an integrated tender package for the development of the Sibovc lignite mine and a new independent power plant to be known as Kosovo C. WB Strategy and Operations Officer Neil Bush privately told Econoff on June 16 that the meeting between Ceku and Thomson was pleasant and jovial, noting that once they agreed on the way forward for Kosovo's energy sector development, the Minister brought out champagne to celebrate the deal. (Note: USOP and USAID officials and USG-contracted advisors worked diligently with MEM and WB for several weeks before this meeting to ensure this agreement. End Note) NEXT STEPS CRITICAL IN MOVING FORWARD -------------- ¶4. (SBU) Thomson outlined next steps for both sides to ensure that the agreement moves forward expeditiously: the PISG should issue a WB-endorsed solicitation of expressions of interest (EOI) in July, 2006; in accord with the WB's Lignite Protection Technical Assistance Project (LPTAP),a Project Steering Committee (PSC) should be established to review expressions of interested received and to create a shortlist of applicants judged qualified to eventually bid for the mining and generating licenses to be tendered (ref A); and the WB should start a process in July to select a transaction advisor to offer technical and legal support to the PISG in preparing and implementing the tender. Thomson added that the PISG had agreed after several weeks of deliberation to sign the WB's energy sector development strategy policy letter, a prerequisite to the WB sending the LPTAP to its board of directors for final approval, and to ask that the Kosovo Trust Agency return the mining license for Bauxite E. Kosoves mine, a socially-owned enterprise (SOE) that is near the Sibovc field that will be privatized. Thomson explained that the WB requested that the KTA return the mining license for the bauxite mine to avoid any legal complications that could arise and allow the Bank and Kosovo government to have a clear path to tender the development of the Sibovc mine. TIMETABLE FOR LPTAP IMPLEMENTATION -------------- ¶5. (SBU) USOP asked what would be an ideal timetable for implementing the LPTAP if signed in late June. Thomson said if the PISG agrees to proceed with the aforementioned next steps, the EOI could be released at the same time the WB completes, approves and releases the terms of reference for the transaction advisor by late July, and the European Agency for Reconstruction (EAR) also starts with the options PRISTINA 00000545 002.2 OF 003 analysis study next month which will serve as a market sounding report to assess private industry's interest developing new lignite coal mines. Thomson opined that by October the LPTAP PSC completes its initial review of EOIs, the EAR's options study is also completed by October/November, and the transaction advisor arrives in Pristina by December 2006. ¶6. (SBU) Thomson added that the transactions advisor would decide if rehabilitation of some Kosovo Energy Corporation's (KEK) power units should be added to the tender package. Thomson said by late January the transaction advisor prepares tendering documents which are released by March ¶2007. Thomson concluded that energy firms or their consortia should have about six months to submit their bids, the PSC and transactions advisor evaluate the tender proposals and a provisional winner is chosen by December ¶2007. USG-funded technical advisors believe that it will likely take two years to negotiate a final deal to begin work. However, the World Bank has left open the possibility of conducting two separate negotiations, one for Kosovo C and the other for mine development to allow lignite mining activities to begin sooner. IMPORTANT TO KEEP FOCUS ON SHORT-TERM ENERGY NEEDS -------------- -------------- ¶7. (SBU) Thomson told USG officials that it was important that Kosovo focus on immediate needs such as developing new coal mines for short-term and long-term needs, improving energy bill collections and signing contract extensions for electricity imports until March/April 2007 to prepare for this year's winter (ref B). Thomson said that a proposed credit enhancement facility to support energy imports was not feasible at this time, opining that Serbia continues to auction off and sell transmission rights for Kosovo; Kosovo does not control the power grid to buy or sell energy to third parties; and, energy traders affiliated with Serbia's Electric Power Industry (EPS) have set up a pricing monopoly with EPS that adversely affects Kosovo's energy imports. ¶8. (SBU) On June 20 COM met with MEM Minister Ceku to congratulate the PISG for agreeing to a deal with the World Bank, but also pressed him to work harder to improve electricity bill collections, help KEK prepare for the upcoming winter and embark on a public awareness campaign that clearly explains the progress and timelines for the energy sector's development. KEK PREPARES FOR WINTER BUT MORE SUPPORT NEEDED -------------- -- ¶9. (SBU) KEK has made some progress in preparing for the upcoming winter. In May UNMIK finally took action to remove the remaining squatters near Hade village in Obilic municipality, the site of an accessible, massive lignite coal seam. The residents had interfered with mining operations for six weeks to demand employment with KEK despite the PISG already relocating and compensating them for the expropriation of their land. KEK Information Officer Nezir Sinani told Econ FSN on June 15 that refurbishment of some KEK A and B units are on track and the energy utility is removing overburden and extracting lignite to build up coal stocks and supplies for the winter. Sinani estimated that KEK still needs about 5.5 million euros to buy equipment, increase mining operations and prepare for emergency mining operations in time for next winter. Sinani noted that EAR is supposed to provide 15 million euros for mining activities and KFW (Kredistal fur Wiederaufbau),the German Government's aid body, would provide another 8 million euros for equipment. He added that KEK has not received additional funding from the PISG to support its PRISTINA 00000545 003.2 OF 003 activities to prepare for the winter. Under the best of circumstances, KEK will be able to provide consistent power with the existing load shedding plan, known as the ABC Program, to Kosovars during the winter. ¶10. (SBU) Regarding acquisition of affordable energy imports, Nezir told Econ FSN that KEK has signed supply contracts until December and is seeking to extend contracts until March-April 2007. Nezir said KEK would likely need additional funding from the PISG or international donor support to extend the contracts as well as for emergency situations. He noted that energy usage increases by 70-80 percent during the winter and damages existing power lines and burns out electricity feeders and other equipment. ¶11. (SBU) Comment. USOP and USAID have worked closely with the World Bank and PISG to forge consensus on a clear way to move forward in the energy sector. The WB and the PISG each claims that this agreement was reached because the other capitulated completely. We therefore believe that USG diligence will remain essential as the agreement in principle, particularly the timeline, is implemented on the ground. Certainly investor interest will support aggressive implementation: American AES continues to show strong interest; CEZ of the Czech Republic opened a project office in Pristina on June 16; ENEL of Italy continues to engage. The USG will continue to provide technical assistance to the MEM until the transaction advisor is on board and will continue to work with UNMIK, the PISG and the rest of the international community to ensure that Kosovo is well- prepared for the short-term that could complicate public acceptance of the necessarily medium-to-long-term perspective of the PISG-WB agreement. End Comment. GOLDBERG