PRISHTINA, Oct 9 /ATA/ – Kosovo will be represented by its institutions and officials in the Central European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA), confirming that it will now participate under its own name rather than through the UN mission.
The decision was made by the CEFTA’s Joint Committee to accept Kosovo’s request to participate under its own name instead of UNMIK and it represents a notable achievement in the country’s efforts to establish its sovereignty in regional trade matters.
In a press conference on Wednesday, the Minister of Industry, Enterprise, and Trade, Rozeta Hajdari, stressed the importance of this development.
“Finally, the participation of UNMIK has ended in CEFTA,” she stated, highlighting the dedication of Kosovo’s government to improve its position in this important regional mechanism.
Kosovo had been represented in CEFTA – the agreement aimed at increasing trade in goods and services, eliminating trade barriers between the parties and attracting investment – through the United Nations Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) since 2007, when it joined it.
This change follows Kosovo’s recent decision to lift a ban on Serbian goods, aimed at preventing its exclusion from key initiatives such as the Berlin Process. Authorities in Kosovo also reopened the main border crossing at Merdare for Serbian goods, ending a year-long suspension that had been implemented amid security concerns.
The tenth Berlin Process meeting is scheduled for October 14, marking its tenth anniversary.
/REL/u.sh/
