Good cooperation between the chambers of commerce of Serbia and Kosovo is an exception in the relations between Belgrade and Pristina, says the president of the Kosovo Chamber of Commerce Safet Gerxhaliu, KiM radio reports.
“Trade is like water, it finds its own paths,” he says in the “Dogovor!?” TV show of KIM Radio Television.
In New York, Paris, Berlin and other world metropolises is being talked about the good cooperation between the Chamber of Commerce of Kosovo and the Chamber of Commerce of Serbia. Everywhere, not just in Kosovo, said Gerxhaliu, stressing that in Pristina is a more important political rather than an economic agenda.
-Good news is not news here, but from the normalization of the relationship there should not be any fear. We need to understand one thing, trade is like water and itself finds its own paths. What we do as chambers is to strengthen dialogue, strengthen partnership, and eliminate barriers. We have daily contacts, communicate every day. After all, we do not have more time to experiment, because we’ve lost enough and if we continue to waste energy in trying to beautify the past, we will lose in the future, he says.
Gerxhaliu is praising his colleague from Serbia, Marko Cadez, who opened the economic fair in Pristina, three last years.
“We have the same vision, that economic cooperation will be the catalyst for building the future for all of us. After all, no one can force us to love each other, but who stops us to cooperate, because out of that cooperation positive effects will be for all of us,” Gerxhaliu says.
However, good co-operation in trade relations has significantly disrupted the decision of the Kosovo Minister of Trade Bajram Hasani to impose a special tax on imports of flour from Serbia.
-Business cooperation is hundred steps ahead of politics. If we create barriers to one another, we do not contribute to our future, and we all have an interest in the future. If you listen to our politicians, whether here or in Belgrade, they are talking about a normalization of relationships throughout the day, and in the end I came to a conclusion that these people who are talking about normalization have a fear of normalization, and this is a big mistake. Because, this happening, a competition -who will create more barriers, and I think that for new generations to come, will be an inspiration for humour, cartoons, comics and satire, and we do not need this. That’s why there is a dialogue, he says.
Regardless of the occasional obstacles, Serbia is the largest exporter in Kosovo. Currently, Kosovo from Serbia is importing goods a worth of € 430 million. Kosovo, on the other hand, exports much less, but according to Customs data, exports to Serbia this year increased by 40 per cent.
“Precisely this contributes to dialogue and cooperation which will be even better and more positive in the future,” Gerxhaliu expects.
Kosovo will chair CEFTA in 2018, for the president of the Chamber of Commerce of Kosovo, Safet Gerxhaliu it is a chance for the promotion of peace in the region, reports KIM radio.
However, it should not be viewed negatively reject of demands of Kosovo to independently perform within the CEFTA agreement, without UNMIK, he believes.
“I think it’s important to be part of that process, and not always to be a winner. In this context, the mere fact that Kosovo will be in that position is a psychological advantage. Another thing, the elimination of UNMIK is not the competence of Kosovo, nor the region, because this is still a higher level of agreement, and in this context, it is important for me that a person finds what he wants in a person. Because, if you are looking for something positive then you will find it; but if you are looking for something that is not good you will find it, too. It is important for us to have this positive energy, to look into the future, and simply through the work, engagement and contribution to the region we amortize morally. The essence is to look into the future, not to cling to things that have far political weight, not economic. We need an economic perspective. “
