Trade minister John Battle will lead the tour of Kosovo, with the intention of establishing what one member described as a “strong British commercial presence in the region as soon as possible”.
The UK ambassador to the region has already visited the state capital Pristina with a team of Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials, and has provided the taskforce with an overview of Kosovo’s reconstruction needs.
The European Union has also established an office in Skopje, Macedonia, that will be responsible for evaluating contract tenders.
Ove Arup & Partners deputy chairman Nigel Thompson, who is chairman of the taskforce, said the eight-man mission would stay in Kosovo for three days and carry out a preliminary assessment of the region’s immediate needs.
“As far as we are concerned, this is a reconnaissance mission, so we can identify what work projects British companies can help with,” he said.
A taskforce insider said the team would report back to the other members on their return, and a larger team could then travel to Kosovo to start work within the next four to six weeks.
Thompson was also scheduled to visit Brussels this week to discuss the reconstruction programme with UN officials.
The eight-man team includes Amec’s international business development director Ian Thomas, who will assess transport infrastructure needs; Mott MacDonald commercial and marketing director Mike Viney, who will examine ways of setting up power supplies; Taylor Woodrow Construction chairman and managing director Bruce Russell; and Kennedy Construction chairman Stuart Doughty, who will look at water supply.
Don Cook, executive director of Crown Agents, the former government agency that provides development services on behalf of the government’s Department for International Development, will also be part of the team.
Amec’s Thomas denied reports that delays in getting the British taskforce into the region were caused by the NATO high command’s attempt to give US contractors a head start. He said: “It’s absolute rubbish. I don’t think there are any US companies out there. The earliest we could have gone, according to the Ministry of Defence, is Monday, and we are leaving on Monday.” British Consultants Bureau chief executive Collin Adams, who played a large part in establishing the taskforce, said: “We are delighted with the speed the government is working on this.”
