The Minister of Industry, Entrepreneurship, Trade and Innovation, Mimoza Kusari-Lila, hosted the Mayor of Izmir Metropolitan Municipality, Dr. Cemil Tugay, together with his colleagues from the Republic of Turkey.
During the meeting, opportunities for deepening cooperation between Kosovo and Izmir were discussed, with a particular focus on developing economic relations, promoting investments and creating new connections between businesses in both countries.
Minister Kusari-Lila praised the special importance that Izmir has for Kosovo, emphasizing the strong human ties between the two countries. This city is home to a large number of citizens of Kosovar origin, who constitute an important bridge between the two countries.
In terms of economy, the importance of encouraging manufacturing businesses based in Izmir to invest in Kosovo was emphasized, making use of the advantages offered by the country, including fiscal policies, proximity to the European Union market, qualified workforce, as well as the opportunities created through the free trade agreement with EFTA and the three CEFTA protocols, ratified by the Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo in April of this year.
In the context of expanding economic cooperation, the meeting also discussed the organization of the Economic and Cultural Forum in Izmir, which is planned to be held in November. Within the framework of the forum, B2B meetings between businesses from Kosovo and Izmir are expected to take place, with a focus on sectors such as the metal industry, plastics, food processing, textiles and tourism.
Another important issue was the possibility of establishing a direct air route between Prishtina and Izmir. Such a connection would contribute to further strengthening human ties, developing tourism and increasing economic exchanges between Kosovo and Turkey.
The meeting was considered a good opportunity to advance cooperation between Kosovo and Izmir and to create new opportunities for investments, business partnerships and stronger economic ties between the two countries.
