The delegation consisting of the First Deputy Prime Minister, Mr. Besnik Bislimi, Third Deputy Prime Minister, Mrs. Emilija Redžepi, Minister of Industry, Entrepreneurship and Trade, Mrs. Rozeta Hajdari, and the Minister of Regional Development, Mr. Fikrim Damka as well as six businesses from Kosovo, during their official visit to Istanbul, Bursa and Ankara, met the government authorities and Turkish business communities.
During this visit, meetings were held with the Board for International Economic Relations (DEIK), the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce (ITO), the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BTSO) and various businesses from Turkey, in which meetings were highlighted the opportunities for growth of economic cooperation and increase of exports from Kosovo to Turkey, to European markets and beyond.
Minister Rozeta Hajdari, within this visit, held a bilateral meeting with her counterpart, the Minister of Trade of the Republic of Turkey, Mehmet Muş, with whom she talked about the challenges in the implementation of the Free Trade Agreement with Turkey (in force since September 2019), highlighting the challenges of Kosovar producers to enter into the Turkish market, which results in a high and growing trade deficit with Turkey. Her counterpart, Minister Mehmet Muş agreed on the proposal of Minister Hajdari, to address the challenges of Kosovar exporters through professional committees from the two ministries of the Kosovo-Turkey line, to find appropriate solutions for Kosovar exporters in the Turkish market, covering only 1% of total exports, compared to imports from Turkey that covers 9% of total imports.
During her stay in Ankara, Minister Hajdari also had a conversation with the management of the Ankara Chamber of Commerce, with whom she discussed the potentials of growing Kosovar exporters and who are expected to be further supported through the proper implementation of the Free Trade Agreement with Turkey.
