Shahini: Because of Kurti’s stubbornness, Kosovo faces EU and US sanctions, and citizens are paying the price

President of the Kosovo Business Alliance, Agim Shahini, stated that Kosovo is the only country in the Western Balkans that depends on imports for 87 percent of its goods, which is a consequence, he said, of the lack of a strategy to boost domestic production. At the same time, he emphasized that due to the stubbornness and missteps of the government and Prime Minister Albin Kurti, Kosovo is now facing sanctions from both the EU and the US, and that citizens are paying the price.

“Kosovo is the only country in the Balkans that depends almost 87 percent on imports. This year we will import nearly seven billion euros’ worth of goods from various countries. That means seven billion euros in cash will leave Kosovo. Kosovo has no strategy to increase domestic production, and that is why we depend on foreign products,” Shahini told Kosovo Online.

He reminds that Kosovo is currently under punitive measures from both the EU and the United States.

“At the moment, we have sanctions from the EU, with losses amounting to nearly one billion euros. All citizens of Kosovo are suffering because of that, the economy, the administration, the private sector. Now we also have additional sanctions from the United States. Kosovo is now in the same category as Russia, Belarus, and China, it is the fourth country facing US measures, especially after the suspension of the strategic dialogue. This will have a strong impact on our businesses and on investments in Kosovo. The government is making mistakes step by step, and we as citizens are paying for them,” Shahini stressed.

He underlines that the EU imposed sanctions on Kosovo because of the behavior of Prime Minister Albin Kurti, but that all citizens are suffering the consequences.

“It is very difficult to lift certain measures once they’ve been imposed. From the beginning, they were harsh, and I’m not saying they were unfair, but they weren’t imposed against the citizens of Kosovo, rather against the Prime Minister of Kosovo, who acted stubbornly toward the international community, toward both Europeans and Americans. Unfortunately, it is the citizens who feel those measures the most,” Shahini said.