Basel, Switzerland, 16 January, 2024
On the second day of his stay in Switzerland, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, together with the Minister of Industry, Entrepreneurship and Trade, Rozeta Hajdari, participated in the opening of the fair “Swissbau 2024”, where local companies from the industry are also represented of wood and other construction products.
“We have gathered here at Swissbau, not only as participants and exhibitors, but as visionaries and ambassadors of a country that contains extraordinary potential”, said Prime Minister Kurti, during his participation in this fair, in which various companies from Kosovo.
He said that the products presented here are a testament to our potential and a promise of what we aspire to achieve.
Remembering that Kosovo is not a simple country, the Prime Minister emphasized that they are there to show the quality, ability and skills of the people of Kosovo, and to show that Kosovo is a competitive European and global country.
“Today, I want to single out a special symbol of our innovation: the prefabricated house, designed, planned and manufactured in Kosovo. This house, filled with our furniture, is exhibited for the first time at a fair, representing our skills in architecture and design. It stands as a beacon of what we can offer to the world – not only in terms of products, but in terms of complete lifestyle solutions”, underlined Prime Minister Kurti.
It is worth noting that Kosovo leads the Balkans economically, with a significant increase in exports and foreign investments, reflecting political stability and growing market confidence. Compared to the previous six years (2015-2020), where the total export value was around 2.2 billion euros, this is a significant increase. In the last three years alone, the value of Kosovo’s exports has reached around 2.5 billion euros.
Speaking about the increase in the value of exports and the importance of orienting the country’s economy towards export, he said that the furniture industry represents a cornerstone of our economic structure.
“The wood sector in Kosovo is already a vibrant ecosystem with over a thousand companies, with furniture production employing a significant number of qualified workforce,” he said.
During his speech, the prime minister called on the participants to invest in Kosovo because this is how the vision for a globally recognized Kosovo becomes a reality, influencing reliability, quality, growth and unity towards progress and prosperity.
“Invest in Kosovo and invest in a partnership that values growth, quality and reliability. Join us on this journey of progress and prosperity as a place where you don’t need to knock on doors to enter. Let’s make the vision of a globally recognized, internationally recognized Kosovo a reality together”, were the Prime Minister’s words at the end of his speech.
Through financial support from the Agency for Investments and Enterprise Support in Kosovo in cooperation with the Association of Wood Processors in Kosovo with partners, at the “Swissbau 2024” Fair, local companies have been provided with an exhibition space of 300m2.
Prime Minister Kurti’s complete speech:
Dear compatriots,
Dear ladies and gentlemen from Kosovo, from Switzerland, from both
Dear Minister of Industry, Entrepreneurship and Trade, Mrs. Rosetta Hajdari
The honorable ambassador of the Republic of Kosovo, Mr. Sami Ukelli
Roman Imgrüth, Head of Swissbau, who joined us at this conference,
Dear Messrs. Kelmendi and Mehmetaj, chairmen of the Boards of the Association of Wood Processors of Kosovo and plasterers of prefabricated constructions,
Dear representatives of USAID in Kosovo, Mrs. Arifi and Mr. Rama,
Dear business representatives who have come here to Switzerland with the government program, in which case we also had the pleasure of talking about the conditions you currently have and the opportunities for growth and development,
Sisters and brothers,
Ladies and gentleman,
We have gathered here at Swissbau, not only as participants and exhibitors, but as visionaries and ambassadors of a country that contains tremendous potential. We have better and better actuality, but even higher than our actuality is the potentiality for our country, people, society and economy. We are here to build connections, to show our quality and demonstrate that Kosovo is not just a country, but a European and global competitor.
Yesterday, we celebrated the opening of a furniture showroom made in Kosovo, in a space where the skills and abilities of our people are displayed with pride. This is not an isolated event, but a point in a journey that has seen many producers from Kosovo join hands to work and minds to plan, with Swiss exhibitors of Albanian heritage to show our collective advantage.
I feel a deep emotion when I talk about our nation’s journey. It is a journey marked by commitment to quality and commitment to show our skills to the world. The trust we have built, the reforms we have implemented and the growth we have experienced are all woven into the fabric of our society.
Our progress in democracy and governance has brought economic prosperity, with Kosovo products making their mark on international markets. Our economic indicators are not just numbers, but also stories of sustainability and our shared vision.
The rule of law and democracy and human rights have seen remarkable progress, with a prestigious organization such as Freedom House ranking us third globally for democratic improvement and praising our efforts and results.
Our relentless legal reforms have dismantled criminal networks and strengthened our legal institutions, placing us in the highest regional rankings in the World Justice Project’s rule of law index, but also in terms of political rights and civil liberties, especially in the Western Balkans region.
Economically, we lead in the Balkans with growth, with a significant increase in exports and with foreign investments, which come and increase, reflecting our institutional stability and the growing confidence of the market where we have our producers and our consumers together. But everything shows that we will become even more of an export-oriented country. It is no coincidence that exports have doubled in two and a half years. Whereas in the last three years in total, the value of Kosovo’s exports has reached 2.5 billion euros, while this increase is more than double compared to the previous six years (2015-2020), where the total value of exports was around 2.2 billion euros. The synergy of good governance and competitive economic strength prepares us for an ever brighter future for all of us in an integrated world.
Today, I want to single out a special symbol of our innovation. In addition to these 12 companies that came together with the Minister of Industry, Entrepreneurship and Trade, we also have the prefabricated house, designed, planned and produced in Kosovo in every detail, in addition to the whole. This house, filled with our furniture, is exhibited for the first time at a fair, representing our skills in architecture and design. It stands as a beacon of what we can offer the world – not just in terms of products, but also in terms of complete lifestyle solutions. So, our model, the home of Kosovo.
While we talk about houses and spaces, let’s also foresee the future where houses and restaurants internationally will serve food made in Kosovo. So, not only a place to live, but also a place to live, where we eat well with the highest quality products from our country. It is a future we are building towards, with every product and partnership we create.
The furniture industry represents a cornerstone of our economic structure. In recent years, we have seen impressive double-digit growth rates.
Half a century ago, the most famous German word in Kosovo was Baustelle. Today we are doing everything so that the most famous German word in Kosovo is Ausbildung. So, let’s connect the market with the economy, which is also the employment market with education and professional training. Therefore, this year too, we have made a qualitative leap, in which case 12 profiles are taught in 21 schools, in 14 municipalities throughout Kosovo, so that for every school diploma we have a job.
We know that perhaps not only the goal, but rather the drive of finance is profit. Meanwhile, not only the goal again, but the impetus of the industry is expansion. We need both profit and expansion, so finance and industry. One without the other is not complete and both together are perfect.
But in this vision, the Government of the Republic of Kosovo, me as prime minister, Mrs. Rozeta as a minister does not try to impose himself as a production superstructure, but on the contrary as an infrastructure that helps him find new markets with increasingly high-quality products.
The wood sector in Kosovo is already a vibrant ecosystem with over a thousand companies, with furniture manufacturing employing a significant number of skilled workers.
The trust you have in Kosovo is the foundation on which we build. This showroom of ours, our prefab home and our food are more than commodities; they are the essence of Kosovo – our heart, our innovation, but also our promise for the future that is related to our culture and tradition from the past.
Invest in Kosovo and invest in a partnership that values growth, quality and reliability. Join us on this journey of progress and prosperity as a place where you don’t need to knock on doors to enter. Let’s make the vision of a globally recognized, internationally recognized Kosovo a reality together.
In closing, let’s celebrate not only what we’ve accomplished, but what’s to come. The products presented here are a testament to our potential and a promise of what we aspire to achieve.
Here is a future where every house and every food and every entertainment and every job echoes the spirit of Kosovo and the Albanian nation. For health, success and a future created by our hands, and celebrated by the world, I congratulate you for your contribution, I wish you success and thank you for your attention.
Photo credits: Fiona Murtaj
Last modified: January 17, 2024