Kërçeli: We have not bought energy from Serbia, while we are seeking to return the KEK you sold to state ownership

Vetëvendosje Movement MP Ilir Kërçeli rejected opposition claims in the Kosovo Assembly session that electricity had been imported from Serbia and the company EFT. He described the statements as disinformation and called for the discussion to be based on documents and concrete data.

Kërçeli explained that most of the imported energy used to supply consumers and cover grid losses is secured by KESCO and KEDS, which, he said, are private companies.

He stressed that the Government of Kosovo does not import electricity and that citizens’ complaints regarding supply should be addressed to the companies responsible for providing this service.

During his speech, the LVV MP invited opposition representatives to cooperate on returning KEK to state ownership, claiming that the enterprise had been sold by previous governments.

“Let us unite, sit down and work together to bring KEK back. Let us nationalize the KEK that you sold. You sold it, while we are buying it. Let us return it to the ownership of the Republic of Kosovo. Are you ready?”, Kërçeli declared.

Explaining KEK’s role, he said that the enterprise does not import energy for the country’s general supply. According to him, KEK purchases only limited quantities, mainly through the Albanian power exchange ALPEX.

According to Kërçeli, these purchases are made in two situations: when KEK is unable to produce the projected amount and when it needs to supply enterprises that are part of the liberalized market.

The MP stated that energy prices on the exchanges are publicly available and that, at this moment, the lowest price can be found on ALPEX, the Albanian-Kosovar power exchange.

“Anyone can check the prices on the exchange via the internet. Currently, the cheapest price is on ALPEX. Energy has become more expensive worldwide, but the exchange shows that the lowest price is on this Albanian-Kosovar company”, he said.

Kërçeli also spoke about Elektrosever, stating that the company began importing electricity on January 1, 2024, when billing began in the northern municipalities of Kosovo.

According to him, Elektrosever is the supplier established on the basis of the Brussels agreements reached during the previous government’s tenure.

“Since January 1, 2024, when billing began in the northern municipalities, the supplier Elektrosever has also been importing energy. This supplier was brought in through the Brussels agreements by your government”, Kërçeli said.

He added that following the liberalization of the energy market in 2025, several small suppliers also carried out imports.

The MP devoted a significant part of his statement to allegations concerning the purchase of energy from EFT and Serbian companies. Kërçeli said that so far no evidence had been presented that, during the LVV government’s tenure, KEDS, KESCO or KEK had bought energy from these companies.

“It has been said several times that energy is being bought from EFT or from Serbia, but this is pure disinformation. No one has presented a fact showing that, during our government’s tenure, KEDS, KESCO or KEK bought energy from EFT or Serbian companies”, the MP declared.

He urged opposition lawmakers not to undermine the debate through unsupported accusations, warning that such an approach could also damage their credibility among citizens.

Kërçeli also responded to the characterization of the energy sector as an “energy mafia”, a term used by the opposition and linked to statements by its leader, as well as to a reference to MP Taulant Balla.

He clarified that Elektrosever is an exception to the claim that no purchases had been made from EFT, because of the manner and basis on which the company was established.

The MP also addressed cross-border capacities, saying they needed to be properly understood, since their misinterpretation was being used to spread disinformation.

According to his explanation, cross-border capacities represent technical possibilities on transmission lines through which a quantity of energy can pass through Kosovo’s territory without necessarily stopping for consumption in the country.

In this context, Kërçeli rejected the claim that Kosovo had imported electricity worth one billion euros and called on his political opponents to present evidence.

“There are accusations that energy imports have reached one billion euros. Where are the facts supporting this?”, he asked.

Regarding EFT, Kërçeli said that, like other operators, the company could purchase cross-border capacities through regional auctions.

He explained that, in certain cases, EFT had reserved capacities to transport energy through Kosovo, but that it had to pay the cost for this service, while the revenues remained in Kosovo.

“EFT, like every other operator, has the right to purchase cross-border capacities in regional auctions. In some cases, it has reserved capacities for transit through Kosovo and is required to pay for this service. The revenues generated remain here”, the MP said.

However, Kërçeli acknowledged that Kosovo had imported electricity from EFT, but stressed that this occurred during the period from 2008 to 2017 and not during the current government’s tenure.

According to him, in some of those years imports from EFT reached as much as 99 percent and were carried out directly by the KEK enterprise.

“Kosovo imported from EFT from 2008 through 2017. In some of those years, the percentage reached as much as 99 percent. The imports they are now trying to attribute to us were carried out directly by KEK with EFT. This never happened during the Vetëvendosje government’s tenure”, he said.

The MP said that the opposition was attributing to the current government practices that, according to him, had been used by the opposition itself when it was in power.

“They themselves implemented this practice. They know it and think that we are doing the same thing, but that is not true”, Kërçeli declared.

He also denied claims of links between the companies mentioned and individuals within the Vetëvendosje Movement.

“Regardless of how this issue is presented, it is clear that there is no indication that any of these companies is connected to anyone in the Vetëvendosje Movement”, he said.

Kërçeli called on opposition MPs to support their accusations with documents and, if they had evidence, to forward it to the competent justice authorities as well.

In the closing part of his speech, he spoke about the responsibility of the Energy Regulatory Office, stressing that transparency and oversight were necessary to prevent the spread of disinformation in the sector.

According to the MP, the ERO has a legal obligation to supervise the energy market, while the Kosovo Assembly should strengthen its oversight of the institution.

He stressed that the ERO reports to the Assembly and that its leaders are elected by Parliament. For this reason, Kërçeli said that MPs shared responsibility for overseeing its work.

“A lack of transparency creates fertile ground for disinformation. The ERO has a legal duty to provide oversight, so we, as the Assembly, must exercise stronger control over its work. It reports to us, and we must ensure that it properly supervises the energy market”, Kërçeli declared.

The LVV MP concluded his speech by saying that the citizens of Kosovo deserved a debate based on facts rather than unfounded accusations. He added that the institutions were ready to make the relevant documents available.

“Citizens deserve a discussion based on facts and not fabrications. We have nothing to hide and are ready to provide every document”, Ilir Kërçeli concluded.