Sejdarasi: Kosovo has products and services needed by EFTA countries

Kosovo has potential and can benefit from the Free Trade Agreement with EFTA members because it offers a range of products and services needed by these countries, Bardhi Sejdarasi, an economic expert and host of the show "Dollar Square" on ABC News in Tirana, said in a statement for Kosovo Online.

"This agreement creates opportunities for Kosovo’s entrepreneurs and EFTA countries to engage in trade relations without customs tariffs. It helps businesses offer competitive goods and services and provides a chance for trade cooperation, whether with EU countries or within the region. Additionally, such agreements prepare national economies – including Kosovo’s – to embrace free trade standards, eliminate barriers, and increase domestic production for export," Sejdarasi explained.

He reminded that the same agreement Kosovo signed last month with EFTA members – Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland – was also signed by Albania on December 17, 2009, and entered into force on November 1, 2010.

"Since then, the Albanian government and entrepreneurs have been able to trade more freely with EFTA countries. This involves trade liberalization, meaning the elimination of customs tariffs, which can be a burden on businesses, as tariffs are imposed on all imported or exported products. The fact is that after signing such agreements, trade indicators between these countries have grown at a good pace, although they are still not at the level they should be," Sejdarasi emphasized.