Over 230 companies from interested diaspora to invest in Kosovo

By connecting with Kosovo businesses, the diaspora can help create jobs and increase export of products produced in Kosovo, as well as contribute to economic development.

So said at the Albanian Diaposor Economic Conference from Europe B2B supported by USAID.

The conference is organised to promote common goals for economic development in Kosovo.

Yll Blakaj chairman of the Albanian Diaspore Business Network in Europe, said the B2B conference has been organised with the aim of linking diaspora from Europe to businesses in Kosovo to identify investment and exporter opportunities of products and services from Kosovo, reports Kp.

It requires producers to use this two-day conference to reach contacts, exchange ideas and experiences.

“Mbi 230 firms from Albanian diaspora interested in our products, but also invest or participate in firms that generate production in Kosovo. I am also glad that some of the important producers in the Kosovo and Albanian economy are part of this economic Forum here. We will have the opportunity for a series of very important meetings to be attended over two days. So, we're starting today with B2B meetings, we want the positive energy that we've brought here, but we also found it here to use with B2B meetings, which will be concreteized with links to different contacts, though not even the agreements that will take place in the near future”, Blakaj stressed.

While Brian Martalus, director of the U Economic Growth OfficeAID for Kosovo praised the meeting between Kosovo businesses and those from the diaspora. He said 120 production companies from Kosovo export their goods to the European market.

Marthalus likewise asked different producers to benefit from these two days for new ideas and opinions.

The aim of this event is to create better connections to export between Kosovo and the diaspora. Kosovo needs jobs, exports and investments. People often think of large companies for big investments, but I think it's more real and more useful for Kosovo to have similar connections with the diaspora for small and medium investments, which would push the economy before”, Martalus said.

The conference's presence has been hundreds of businesses from the diaspora and Kosovo. For B2B meetings, different sectors have been Kosovo companies, including wood processing, clothing, energy, information technology, food and drink, etc.

While, Armend Malazogu from “Frutomania”, who participated in B2B meetings, stressed that the foundation of development of exports to Frutomania were developed on the basis of collaboration with businessmen living abroad and in the future for business ties.

We hope that these contacts and these developments that we have, we will develop further... It is a great joy to meet people living in other countries. Contact with them is always welcome, meetings are positive towards supporting the development of the local economy. While the road to success is not easy and short, so these are preliminary steps, for others remains to become”, Malazog said.

Otherwise, at tables with local producers where B2B meetings were held was the water produced by Italy, which has prevented some local producers.

The evening gala will be held, where Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj will be present, and on the second day, panels on which key issues about Kosovo's business ties with the diaspora will be discussed.