Kosovo-North Macedonia integration crucial for EU aspirations

Before aiming for integration into the European Union, Kosovo and North Macedonia need to better integrate with each other, creating a favorable legal framework and providing support for local businesses.

This is what says the Executive Director of the Chamber of Commerce of North-West Macedonia, Durim Zeqiri, CE Report quotes Kosova Press.

He emphasizes the importance of improving trade and economic cooperation between the two countries, proposing several key measures to increase efficiency and ease barriers that hinder the development of relations between the two states.

Zeqiri in an interview for KosovaPress also talks about the decision of the Energy Regulatory Office on the process of liberalizing the energy market in Kosovo, also showing the experience of North Macedonia in this regard.

He emphasizes the creation of a favorable legal framework and the provision of support to local businesses to improve trade and economic cooperation.

"Business must be listened to and supported, and if there is a need for additional infrastructure and genuine common policies between the two states, it is essential that they are implemented. Therefore, before we aim for European integration, we must first integrate among ourselves. Many Kosovar businesses are already present in the North Macedonian market and vice versa. However, for everything to flourish and for the ideas of businessmen and entrepreneurs to be realized, there must be prerequisites, such as infrastructure, a genuine legal framework that does not penalize, but facilitates businesses, as well as the administrative and political willingness to reduce barriers, be they customs, tariff, or non-tariff barriers," said Zeqiri.

While speaking about cooperation between the two countries, Zeqiri mentions the need to unify customs and administrative procedures to enable faster and easier movement of goods, as he says, the main obstacles in this regard are political, while the countries' potential is very great.

On the other hand, Zeqiri also spoke about the ERO's decision on the process of liberalizing the energy market in Kosovo. According to him, the state should give companies a real, sufficient deadline to adapt to the market.

He believes that commercial companies in Kosovo should be assisted and not disadvantaged against potential foreign investors.