Kosovo asks investors to buy its closed units

Envoy-designate says this way they can increase exports to many EU markets

ISLAMABAD:

Kosovo wants to strengthen its trade and economic relations with Pakistan as both countries have good potential to do trade with each other in many areas, said Non-Resident Ambassador-designate of the Republic of Kosovo to Pakistan Ilir Dugolli.

Talking to the business community during his visit to the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI), he said that Kosovo was interested in developing sector-specific relations with Pakistan in order to make some tangible progress and later those ties could be diversified to cover more areas of mutual cooperation.

He pointed out that Kosovo had signed trade agreements with many countries that provided it duty-free market access to the US, Canada, EU, UK, etc, adding that by promoting trade relations with it, Pakistan could enhance its exports to those markets.

He said that Kosovo was interested in reviving its closed industrial units and Pakistani investors should explore prospects of acquiring them, which would enable them to increase exports to many European markets.

He revealed that Kosovo wanted to ink an investment protection treaty with Pakistan that would give more confidence to investors of both countries in making reciprocal investments and forging joint ventures. He was of the view that regular interaction between private sectors of the two sides with follow-up meetings should be the way forward to further strengthen bilateral trade and economic ties between Kosovo and Pakistan.

Speaking on the occasion, ICCI President Sardar Yasir Ilyas Khan said that Kosovo was an unexplored market for the Pakistani business community and emphasised that both countries should facilitate exchange of trade delegations and organise B2B meetings.

He pointed out that Pakistan could export many products to Kosovo including textile goods, pharmaceuticals, surgical instruments, IT products and services, sports goods, leather products, fruits and vegetables.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 21^st, 2021.

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