TIRANA, Albania (AFP)--Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha Thursday inaugurated a stretch of a highway linking Kosovo to a sea port in a ceremony just days ahead of general elections.

Berisha, who was joined by Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan, hailed the project as one that would end the "partition of the Albanian nation" and a " road of development for the entire Balkans."

The 60-kilometer stretch of the highway presented Thursday - valued at EUR1 billion - was constructed by the U.S.-Turkish consortium Bechtel-Enka.

Once completed, the highway will eventually link the Albanian port of Durres with Pristina, the capital of ethnic Albanian-majority Kosovo.

The ceremony was held in the final phase of campaigning ahead of Sunday's Albanian general elections, closely contested by Berisha's Democratic Party and the opposition Socialists led by Tirana Mayor Edi Rama.

The highway works have already provoked a fierce dispute during campaigning, with the Socialists accusing the government of numerous irregularities notably during the tender process.

The cost of the works has increased considerably, from the initially planned EUR500 million up to EUR1 billion.

The highway is expected to shorten the trip between Tirana and Pristina from eight to three hours.

Various stretches are due to be completed by the year's end or in early 2010.

Kosovo unilaterally declared independence from Serbia in February last year and was promptly recognised by Albania, Turkey and the U.S. Its statehood has been rejected as illegal by Serbia and its ally Russia.

Albanian authorities hope the new road will increase trade between Albania and Kosovo.

"Albania also hopes that the construction of this road would bring up a higher number of Kosovo Albanian tourists" to the Albanian coast, said Tourism Minister Arjan Turku.

  (END) Dow Jones Newswires
  06-25-091236ET
  Copyright (c) 2009 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.

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