The Minister of Trade and Industry, Bajram Hasani, today hosted in a meeting the delegation headed by Helge Tolksdorf, Director for EU Enlargement, South Eastern Europe and Turkey in the Federal Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Germany, who was accompanied by Anja Meyer from Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy and Jan Axel Voss, German Deputy Ambassador to Kosovo.
Minister Hasani spoked about the priorities of the ministry he leads, in particular the harmonization of complete legislation frame with the SAA, meeting obligations deriving from the SAA, implementation of the Law on Strategic Investment and Kosovo's priorities in CEFTA.
Hasani said that the Ministry of Trade and Industry policy orientation will be in support to small and medium–size enterprise in order to increase their production and export capacities.
“Since we took this mandate, nearly 6 month now, we gave our efforts to proceed and harmonize some legislation that were not been fully capability with the SAA. We have worked very hard, and nearly ten laws are proceeded to the government. Our policies are oriented in support to small and medium-size enterprises and investment promotion. In regard to small size enterprises, our aim is to improve product conformity, support companies to increase their production capacities so they could increase the export as well, to open new jobs, and to focus in economic development of our Republic”, said Hasani.
Minister Hasani also mentioned the first applicant for the status of strategic investor, the company with German -Kosovar capital that is awaiting to invest 130 million euro in solar energy area.
Although, minster Hasani spoked about the doing business report where Kosovo is ranked in the 40th place.
“We are building tourism policy, strengthening the protection of industrial property rights, developing the quality infrastructure, and improving doing business environment for what Kosovo is ranked in 40th place based to the World Bank’s Doing Business Report. This year we expect to improve our position in this report even upper through the new law on business organization. We have given an extra support to the credit guaranty fund, also this fund is financed by the German Bank for Reconstruction and Development”, pointed out Hasani.
Helge Tolksdorf, Director for EU Enlargement, Southeast Europe and Turkey at the Federal Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Germany said the Western Balkans is a priority for the Germany.
"The Western Balkans will be consistently an important point for German foreign policy. The good news is that since Kosovo's independence we have doubled the bilateral trade exchange, and Kosovo has a great potential to be used, "Tolksdorf said.
Tolksdorf congratulated and saluted Minister Hasani for harmonization of the legal frame with the EU, also for the fulfilling criteria deriving from the SAA.
He also assured Minister Hasani that the Germany will continue to be a close partner to support Kosovo in developing economic policies, he also provided experts in the areas that MTI might need.