Serbia has very important trade agreements with the EU and the former Soviet republics, but Kosovo and Albania are more important trading partners than all other countries of the former Soviet Union.
President of Kosovo Chamber of Commerce, Safet Gerxhaliu, noted that there is a big difference between official and unofficial data and specified that last year in Serbia were sold Kosovo goods in the amount of 28 million euros. On the other hand, “legal import” from Serbia to Kosovo was worth 310 million euros, except that this year there is a trend of further growth. “According to my calculations, taking into account the extent of the informal and criminal economy, last year, in this area were present Serbian goods worth more than 510 million euros,” said Gerxhaliu.
Noting that the latest figures show that export from Serbia to Albania was worth about $ 148 million, he underlined that in this context, a major role has position of the government in Belgrade “to more orient towards the Balkan countries.
Gerxhaliu believes that it is necessary “to promote the region and begin to eliminate all barriers between us, because the only way to achieve the welfare of the people is to improve the image of the Balkans and promote investment opportunities in this area.”
