Grxhaliu: The Western Balkans must “tear down walls and strengthen bridges of cooperation” through the economy

Former President of the Kosovo Chamber of Commerce, Safet Grxhaliu, stated that the peoples of the Western Balkans must "tear down walls and strengthen bridges of cooperation" through the economy — and that the creative industry is one way to achieve that goal. He also sees a solution in distancing the economy from politics.

"Through the creative economy, we must in some way dismantle the walls that divide us and strengthen bridges of cooperation. This includes culture, film, literature, music… All of this falls under the so-called creative economy and should be supported and utilized — and talked about. At the end of the day, it may be precisely through the creative economy that we can psychologically improve the image of the Western Balkans and learn from one another that not only bad news can be good news,” Grxhaliu told Kosovo Online.

He emphasized that the Berlin Process is “the best thing that has happened to the Western Balkans” in the past 25–26 years, and that the recently signed declaration on strengthening the creative economy is just one segment of this initiative, which aims at reconciliation among the region’s peoples.

“It’s not just about the economic dimension, but also the political, cultural, and musical ones… In this context, there is an attempt to add another layer to economic cooperation. We live in a time of digitalization, in an emerging new world order called 'Trumpism,' and that’s why I think it’s beneficial to harness the economy through creative methods and models — to better understand ourselves, as well as each other’s cultures, and thereby become much more aware of the values of Western Balkan countries,” Grxhaliu said.

However, the economic analyst warned that a major problem in the region is the abundance of agreements, many of which are not implemented.

He sees the solution in “distancing from politics and political interference.”

“I believe that younger generations are much more open to creativity in any context. And therefore, with support from either regional governments or foreign donors, the creative economy could become a bridge for bringing people closer together and building trust. And through that trust, we can advance toward the EU — which is the goal of every country in the Western Balkans,” Grxhaliu emphasized.