Analysts: Kosovo should lift the ban on imports from Serbia as soon as possible

Kosovo should lift the ban on imports from Serbia as soon as possible because the measure harms the economy and violates CEFTA principles, analysts tell Radio Free Europe.

The president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Kosovo, Arian Zeka, says that this measure has affected the commercial interests of Kosovo's partners.

"We considered this a paradoxical measure, given that the import of semi-finished products and raw materials continues, while, on the other hand, finished goods, which are largely produced by companies in Serbia under foreign ownership – namely American and European – are not allowed to enter Kosovo," Zeka said.

As he added, Kosovo benefits in multiple ways from CEFTA: from improving the supply, which also influences foreign investors, to implementing economic reforms and radically changing the structure of exports, the type of products, and the kinds of goods.

The director of the Balkan Policy Group in Pristina, Naim Rashiti, says that Kosovo should act as a reliable player in regional trade.

"Kosovo should remove these measures and behave as a major actor, as an important and fair player, and a reliable one in joint regional trade," Rashiti believes.

Commenting on Germany's recent request that Kosovo lift the ban on imports from Serbia, Rashiti believes that Germany's insistence is linked to preparations for the upcoming meeting within the Berlin Process – a formal EU political platform for the Balkan region – and for new regional agreements they aim to reach there.

Rashiti says that several Balkan countries – Serbia, Bosnia, and some elements within Montenegro – are hoping for such a scenario, and that Kosovo should not allow it.

"The Berlin Process and all organizations that have stemmed from it, or have joined the role of the Berlin Process, are the only instruments where Kosovo is on an equal footing with other countries. Kosovo must do everything it can to protect its position and push forward its agendas," Rashiti argues.

According to him, any potential failure of the Berlin Process would contribute to the rise or revival of other initiatives, such as the Open Balkan, which Kosovo consistently opposes.