Rafuna: If EU measures continue to be in force, Kosovo economy can be paralyzed

It has been two months since the European Union imposed measures on Kosovo, as the Government failed to meet a European plan to defuse the situation in the northern part of the country. Even though an agreement was subsequently reached in Bratislava for stressful steps, these measures still remain in force.

In addition to the political level, these measures were warned they would have great impact on the economy as well.

Kosovo Economic Ode Chairman Lulzim Rafuna hopes these measures will be short-term.

“Now depends on how much will be in force for periods of time, but to hope that they will be short-term, and we demand that as soon as possible be removed so that Kosovo can return to good image in the sense that investors have no image that Kosovo is a country that has punitive measures... We had the opportunity without the digitalisation fund where all countries in the region participated, signed agreements while Kosovo was deprived of this right due to measures imposed by the EU as punitive measures. So we have to be very careful because we're a new country and we need development, we need a lot of money to walk around”, he said.

As a consequence of measures imposed by the European bloc, the Economy Ministry has confirmed that Kosovo has remained outside the EU's 7.5 billion-euro programme for the Balkans, which aims to speed up Europe's digital transformation and secure financing for projects in the fields of technology and innovation.