Shahini: Western Balkan countries must resist economic invasion from Europe

The President of the Alliance for Kosovo Businesses, Agim Shahini, stated that Western Balkan countries must find the strength to jointly resist the economic invasion coming from Europe.

“The relations between the people of Kosovo and Serbia are normal. When it comes to political relations, that is something that exists in the minds of politicians. There are still issues, but over time, changes will come both in Kosovo and Serbia. Politicians must realize that we need to find a way to move forward toward the European Union, together with all the Balkan states, and how, as small Balkan countries, we can form a collective strength against the economic invasion, or against a highly liberalized market that is becoming stronger in the Balkans every day, coming from Europe,” Shahini told Kosovo Online.

Commenting on the increasing presence of Serbian goods in Kosovo, Shahini noted that consumers are not attached to the origin of a product but rather to its quality and price.

“Kosovo consumers are not particularly loyal to a specific product but are instead drawn to quality and better prices. Serbian products that have started arriving in Kosovo this year are gradually reclaiming their place in the market,” Shahini emphasized.

He warned that Serbian manufacturers should pay more attention to the demands of Kosovo consumers if they want to restore export levels to what they were before sanctions.

“Serbian producers need to be more attentive to the needs of Kosovo consumers if they wish to return to the pre-sanctions trade volume, which amounted to nearly 500 million euros in turnover between Kosovo and Serbia,” Shahini stressed.