Mon, Nov 17 2014

PRISTINA, Nov 17 (Reuters) - The government of Kosovo has picked a French consortium which includes Compagnie des Alpes to develop the country's only ski resort, Prime Minister Hashim Thaci said on Monday.

The project will create thousands of jobs in one of Europe's poorest countries.

The consortium will invest 410 million euros to develop more than 100 kilometres (miles) of ski slopes and multi-use facilities at Brezovica to attract tourists throughout the year. Member firms include ski tourism specialists Compagnie des Alpes, MDP consulting and PGI management.

"This investment will put Kosovo at the centre of winter tourism and open up 3,000 new jobs," Thaci said.

The government said the Brezovica ski resort includes some 39,000 hectares of high alpine terrain and forests, and offers an average of 128 ski-able days a year. The new investment will mean it can host 15,000 skiers simultaneously, it added.

The contract is expected to be signed after 90 days.

Kosovo, a former province of Serbia, is Europe's newest country and one of its poorest, with an unemployment rate of between 35 and 45 percent. High levels of crime and corruption often cited as the main obstacles to foreign investment.