Gerxhaliu: Blockade of Serbian products import has harmed Kosovo, Serbia, and the entire Western Balkans

According to economic expert Safet Gerxhaliu from Pristina, the blockade of the Serbian goods import to Kosovo, which has been ongoing for a full five months, has harmed the economies of both Kosovo and Serbia, and he claims that from a political perspective, it harms the entire Western Balkans and that the consequences are yet to be fully felt.

"Unfortunately, despite everything that has happened recently in the Western Balkans, including the Berlin Process and the Brussels Agreement, many barriers persist. They are active concerning the freedom of movement of goods, services, capital, and people, and this is simply an aggravating circumstance, not only for Kosovo and Serbia but for the entire Western Balkans," Gerxhaliu emphasizes.

The consequences are being felt now, but, as he believes, they will continue in the future.

"Economically, it is a significant blow to both economies, and politically, it harms the entire Western Balkans. We will continue to suffer the consequences of such barriers in the future because a large part of imported goods from Serbia is used in the finalization of products produced in Kosovo. Therefore, I think the dialogue has no alternative," Gerxhaliu says.

He points out that no serious investor will decide to invest in Kosovo if the blockades continue.

"I think it's time to free ourselves from these prejudices and solve problems because, in the end, trade is like water; it finds its own paths. Why not give the opportunity to build bridges of cooperation through economic collaboration, strengthen those bridges, and build perspective and a future, as we already have many political barriers? Do we need these economic barriers that simply generate negative consequences, not only for Kosovo and Serbia but for the entire Western Balkans?" Gerxhaliu evaluates.

As he emphasizes, there are losses on both sides.

"The problem is that in the Balkans, statistics do not provide accurate results, and in that context, we can speculate with figures, but the essence of all this is that the consequences exist on both sides. If we have a decline in exports, isn't that another indicator of how harmful such decisions are and how they indirectly affect the competitiveness decline of products produced in Kosovo?" our interlocutor says.

Although the shelves are filled with products from other countries, Gerxhaliu emphasizes the need for rational thinking.

"We must think about economies, not emotions and political decisions. In the end, costs are now determinants for setting prices. If you have a negative calculation, it is impossible for products from Kosovo to be competitive anywhere in the region, including Europe and beyond," Gerxhaliu concludes.