PRISTINA, September 2 /ATA/- The Republic of Kosovo and the EFTA member states (Norway, Switzerland, Iceland and Liechtenstein) have met in Geneva for the first round of negotiations towards a free trade agreement.
Kosovo team headed by Zef Dedaj conducted negotiations with the EFTA delegation headed by Karin Buchel.
In a press release it is announced that the negotiating parties discussed trade in goods, rules of origin, trade facilitation, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, technical barriers to trade, competition, trade remedies, legal issues and dispute resolution, trade and sustainable development and intellectual property rights.
“EFTA countries remain important trade partners of the Republic of Kosovo. Trade exchanges with these countries have continuously increased. According to data from Kosovo Customs, in 2019 Kosovo’s exports were 26.28 million Euros, while in 2021 exports increased significantly, marking 52.09 million Euros. As for imports from the EFTA states, in 2019 the value of imports was 33.86 million Euros, while in 2021 it was 35.6 million Euros, thus a positive trade balance”, the report reads.
According to Kosovo government, the main goal of this agreement is the further expansion of the presence of Kosovo products in the EFTA markets, the creation of a competitive environment, the elimination of trade barriers with a special focus on increasing exports and investments.
“The discussions were constructive and paved the way for the conclusion of a mutually beneficial free trade agreement. The delegations agreed to hold a second round of trade negotiations in Pristina until the end of 2022,” the report reads at the end./KosovaPress/p.s./
