The former UN envoy, the chief architect of Kosovo's independence, Nobel Peace Prize laurate Martti Ahtisaari, in an interview for the Austrian daily Die Press yesterday highlights that Kosovo can successfully manage itself without the international community tutors, while calls for investments in the country.

"The first priority must now be to create the economic preconditions for it. International Monetary Fund and World Bank have recognized that. Well, I hope that is followed in the European financial institutions. One of the opportunities lie in the energy sector. Kosovo, with its large coal reserves could be an important energy supplier. We need to create jobs especially for young people, otherwise many will drift into crime. Of course, the work will be continued in the construction of the administration, " said the former UN envoy.

Regarding Serbia's hopes to join EU before recognizing Kosovo, Ahtisaari stresses that EU will not allow to important such problems.

"Serbia must not undermine the independence of Kosovo. We can not import such problems. We can not import such problems. We already have the Cyprus problem, we have the border dispute between Slovenia and Croatia," said the Nobel Peace Prize laurate.

Ahtisaari emphasized that the "EU must open its membership gate to integrate all countries in the Western Balkans by meeting the necessary conditions, otherwise this EU will lose its credibility and prestige."

In October 2008 he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize "for his important efforts, on several continents and over more than three decades, to resolve international conflicts". The Nobel statement said that Ahtisaari has played a prominent role in resolving many conflicts in Namibia, Indonesia, Kosovo and Iraq, among other areas.

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