Kosovo opens negotiations on International Free Trade Agreement with EFTA states

The Ministry of Industry, Intervention and Trade through the composite negotiating team and led by Zef Dedaj, the task director-general in KIESA, has been conducting negotiations with the EFTA delegation led by Karin Buchel, minister at Switzerland's State Secretariat for Economic Affairs.

In a media communiqué it becomes known that the negotiating parties discussed trade of goods, rules of origin, ease of trade, sanitation and phytosanitary measures, technical barriers to trade, competition, trade legal means, legal issues and resolving disputes, trade and sustainable development, and intellectual property rights.

It becomes known that government investments, services and procurements were addressed at the level of the delegation's leaders and agreed that at this same level they would be discussed again in the second round of negotiations to be held in the Republic of Kosovo.

The “EFTA states remain important trade partners of the Republic of Kosovo. Trade markets with these countries have repeatedly seen growth. According to data from Kosovo Customs, in 2019 Kosovo's exports were 26.28m euros, while in 2021 exports rose markedly, marking 52.09m euros. As for imports from the EFTA states, in 2019 the value of imports was 33,86m euros, while in 2021 it was 35.6m euros, subsequently a positive trade balance”, the report said.

According to MINT, the main aim of this agreement is to further expand Kosovo's presence on the EFTA markets, create a competitive environment, eliminate trade barriers with particular focus on increasing exports and investments.

“Dictions were constructive and paved the way for concluding a mutually beneficial free trade agreement. The delegations agreed to hold a second round of trade negotiations in Pristina by the end of 2022”, the communique reportedly ends.