Zeka: Resuming talks on lifting the suspension of the strategic dialogue with the US requires seriousness from the Government

The President of the American Chamber of Commerce in Kosovo, Arian Zeka, called on the Kosovo government to demonstrate full seriousness in its relations with the United States and to take concrete measures to improve the business climate. Otherwise, he said, Kosovo risks losing strategic and economic opportunities, Kosova Press reported.

Zeka assessed that uncoordinated decisions and policy delays have led to internal tensions and negatively affected relations with strategic allies.

“If we take into account the brief message sent by the US Embassy in Pristina after the completion of the latest electoral process and their expressed readiness to cooperate with the new government, then I believe that resuming talks on lifting the suspension of the strategic dialogue and improving relations between the two countries is a realistic possibility,” Zeka said.

However, as he added, everything depends on the seriousness with which this issue is approached, given that representatives of the US Government have raised certain objections in recent months.

“Many things have been clearly stated, such as the uncoordinated actions of the Kosovo government with strategic allies, including the United States, as well as a series of unilateral decisions that have caused internal tensions, but also affected relations with this strategic ally. As I said, everything depends on the seriousness with which the Government of Kosovo approaches this issue,” Zeka said.

That seriousness, according to him, has been sorely lacking in recent years, and the quality of relations between Kosovo and the United States has deteriorated.

“This is entirely the result of unilateral, uncoordinated actions by the Government of the Republic of Kosovo with American allies, as well as with other allies from European Union member states. However, Kosovo remains one of the most important strategic allies of the United States, just as the United States remains the most important strategic ally Kosovo has had over the past several decades,” the President of the American Chamber of Commerce in Kosovo emphasized.

He pointed out that serious American and European investors want to see the rule of law functioning in Kosovo.

“In the past two years, an increase in legal uncertainty has been observed. A series of decisions by institutions has led to uncertainty among investors. I am referring, among other things, to the case in which the same government made a decision to grant strategic investor status to a certain company and then withdrew that status, which is a precedent. In other countries around the world, it can happen that a previous government makes a decision and a new one overturns it. However, such contradictory decisions made by the same government are something we have not seen before. Kosovo must show that it is a country governed by the rule of law, where laws are fully respected. Serious American and European investors want to see that the law works. However, the enforcement of the law remains an area in which we have always lagged behind,” Zeka concluded.

Commenting on the abolition of tariffs on goods from the United States, the President of the American Chamber of Commerce in Kosovo says that this opens opportunities for increasing trade exchange and promoting American products.

“Until 2024, the United States was the number one market for Kosovo products. With the abolition of tariffs, which fortunately took place in August last year, Kosovo opened its market to American goods, which will inevitably affect an increase in trade exchange and greater placement of American products on the Kosovo market. These are products of exceptionally high quality, which may have been lacking on our market in recent years. This decision by the previous government should have a positive effect,” he said.