Kosova seen privatising telecom co by August

* Kosova likely to privatise telecom co by August

* Kosova seeking more investment in energy sector

* Biggest public infrastructure deal unveiled this week

PRISTINA, Jan 21 - Kosova is likely to offer a tender on its government-owned telecom and postal company by June and complete a partial privatisation by August, officials said on Thursday.

A transaction advisor hired by the government outlined this timetable on Thursday, and an official at the Ministry of Economy and Finance said Kosova would likely accept such a plan for Kosova Post and Telecom (PTK).

PTK, which has around 1.1 million mobile and 100,000 land line phone customers, owns the postal service and last year won the contract to be the fourth mobile operator in Albania.

Kosova turned to an international consortium, led by TelCo AG, to come up with a plan for the privatisation, which is seen as crucial in boosting the poor country's economy.

"Privatisation should be finished by the end of August 2010," said a document presented by the consortium.

Minister of Economy and Finance Ahmet Shala said Kosova will review the plan and the government will decide very soon about the fate of one of the most profitable public companies.

Kosova has no telephone country code, a legacy of its former status as part of Serbia, and all international calls go through Monaco, Serbia and Slovenia.

The landlocked Balkan country is trying to attract foreign investors to buy or take concessions in its main public companies in an attempt to improve its finances.

During an energy conference this week the government tried to convince investors to build a long-delayed and badly needed thermal plant and to invest in Kosova's energy sector. [ID:nBYT949614]

On Monday a U.S.-Turkish consortium of Bechtel and Enka (ENKAI.IS) was selected to build a 103-kilometre highway, that may cost about 800 million euros ($1.14 billion). [ID:nLDE60I0T3]

The project would be the largest public investment since the 1998-99 war. The road linking Kosova with Albania is seen as an important project for the new nation, giving it access to Adriatic Sea via the city of Durres.

It has also shortlisted three international consortiums for an airport concession. (Reuters.com - Reporting by Fatos Bytyci, editing by Adam Tanner and Rupert Winchester)