COOPERATION BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES IS EXCELLENT; BUREAUCRACY AND BAD ROADS ARE AN OBSTACLE
Skopje, November 9, 2023 – At the invitation of Mother Teresa University in Skopje, the Ambassador of the Republic of Kosovo in Skopje, H.E. Florian Qehaja, was part of the round table “Bilateral Cooperation Between the Republic of Kosovo and the Republic of North Macedonia”.
Ambassador H.E. Qehaja stated that the cooperation between Kosovo and North Macedonia is excellent in all aspects and is the best since the declaration of independence in 2008.
“Our countries follow the same path, the European integration path, and none of us has a plan B. Since the recognition of independence, we have reached many agreements, opened embassies in Skopje and Prishtina, and the culmination of the cooperation was the first joint meeting of the two governments in Skopje in 2021.”, declared H.E. Qehaja to the students of MTU, adding that the best possible cooperation takes place between the citizens of the two countries, who make numerous visits, which contribute to the development of tourism and the economy.
The Ambassador, H.E. Qehaja, conveyed the problems faced by Kosovar businessmen in North Macedonia when opening branches in Skopje, where they face a very bureaucratic and not very friendly administration, while the road infrastructure from Blace to Skopje contributes a lot to the development of Kosovar businesses.
The rector of MTU, Lecturer Izet Zeqiri, Ph.D., during the discussion, emphasized that the economic cooperation should be intensified, especially in the increase of the commercial exchange, which has not recorded any growth in recent years:
“If we analyze the previous nine months, we have a trade exchange with the Republic of Kosovo of 368 million euros, which represents a slight decrease compared to last year. We have exports from the Republic of North Macedonia to the Republic of Kosovo of 294 million euros and imports from RNM of 73 million euros, which represents a slight decrease compared to last year.
The moderator of the round table, the vice-chancellor for education and student affairs, Assoc. Prof. Fati Iseni, Ph.D., presented the situation of Kosovo from the ancient period to the last liberation war in 1998-1999 and the challenges Kosovo has faced for centuries, crowned with its situation today.
“Today, the Republic of Kosovo is a state with all the attributes that characterize a modern country with a democratic social order, aligned with the Western allies led by the USA, the World Bank, the EU, and the guarantee from these Western democracies, reflected in perspectives that are powerful in all fields,” stated vice-chancellor Fati Iseni.
A large number of academic staff and students joined the discussion, and there was great interest in a Q&A session with the ambassador, which influenced the meeting to continue an hour more than the scheduled time.
