Prishtina, 15 December 2025
Honourable Ms. Rozeta Hajdari, Acting Minister of Industry, Entrepreneurship and Trade,
Honourable Mr. Zef Dedaj, Acting Chief Executive Officer of KIESA,
Honourable Mr. Besnik Berisha, Managing Director of the Kosovo Credit Guarantee Fund,
Honourable Mr. Agron Llugaliu, Director General of Kosovo Customs,
Honourable Mr. Mentor Hyseni, Director General of the Tax Administration of Kosovo,
Esteemed representatives of the private sector and entrepreneurs from municipalities across Kosovo and from the diaspora,
Distinguished attendees,
Esteemed representatives and leaders of our state institutions,
Ladies and gentlemen,
First of all, I thank you for filling this hall with over 200 participating businesses. For a Prime Minister, there is no better signal than when a hall full of entrepreneurs fills up completely—much faster even than an inbox with requests for subsidies. This shows that we are steadily moving from a culture of requests to a culture of opportunity.
Today, we are at the end of a year in which Kosovo has been confirmed as one of the best success stories in the region: a safer, more democratic and financially more sustainable country. International indicators show less organized crime, far less corruption, stronger rule of law, and a democracy that is strengthening year by year. Our public debt is the lowest in Europe, around 16% of GDP, enabling the Government of Kosovo to pursue sovereign policies; economic growth is above 4%; Kosovo’s sovereign credit rating has been confirmed at BB- by Fitch Ratings; and the banking sector is generally well capitalized. These are not merely numbers for reports—they are guarantees for you, investors and entrepreneurs, that Kosovo is a serious destination for long-term investment.
This stability and democracy are not a political luxury; they are the foundation upon which economic development is built. When citizens feel safe at night, when courts are more independent, and when the administration is more professional, an investor from Switzerland, Germany or our diaspora sees Kosovo not as a risk, but as an opportunity. And it is important to emphasize that this progress benefits all citizens—Albanians and other communities alike—with guaranteed rights, dedicated budgets and political participation that exceeds any regional standard.
In this context, the role of the private sector is crucial. Over the past five years, our economy has grown by an average of around 6%; GDP has surpassed €10 billion for the first time—reaching €11 billion this year and projected to reach €12 billion next year; budget revenues have exceeded €3 billion for the first time and will reach €3.3 billion this year; unemployment has more than halved; over 85,000 new jobs have been registered; exports have doubled; and foreign direct investment has more than doubled compared to previous governments. The government can create conditions, but you—dear entrepreneurs—have delivered these results through your work, your risk-taking and your innovation. We have tried not to hinder you, and often to help you. But this success belongs above all to you. You carry the burden of employment and are the main driver of development.
During our governance, we have reduced administrative burdens, digitized services, and reformed legislation on investment, competition, trade, consumer protection and industrial property, all in line with European Union standards. We have supported over a thousand manufacturing and exporting businesses with tens of millions of euros in grants, credit guarantees and export programs, and we have supported hundreds of businesses, especially those owned by women and young people.
Among the most important innovations of recent years are activities that have already become our economic flagships:
• OctoberTech, held in early October, has firmly placed Kosovo on the map of technology-enabled services—from outsourcing to artificial intelligence startups.
• Agriculture and Food Week, also held in late October, has shown the world that Kosovo is not only a consumer but a serious producer of healthy, high-quality food with great export potential.
• The Light Manufacturing and Wood Convention, held in the third week of November, has consolidated our image as a country of flexible manufacturing, modern design and a competitive workforce.
These three sector groups have become flagship activities, attracting ever more foreign investors each year—companies from the region, from our diaspora, and even brands that only a few years ago did not know where Kosovo was on the map. Now they not only know, but often complain more about the price of airline tickets than about our trade regulations—a good sign, because when complaints change, it signals progress.
Another fundamental pillar of government support for the private sector is Public–Private Dialogue. Through the Secretariat of the National Council for Economy and Investment, supported by our Swiss partners and the EBRD, we have rebuilt a trusted platform where business challenges do not remain confined to conference halls but are transformed into concrete recommendations for the government. Thirty-four sectoral forums, over 200 consolidated recommendations, and four plenary meetings chaired by me as Prime Minister have led to tangible results—from reducing administrative burdens and eliminating unnecessary licenses to legal changes for workforce development and digitization of chamber services. Dialogue is no longer ceremonial; it is a working instrument, continuous oversight and a builder of trust between state institutions and the private sector.
All these measures are part of a broader economic vision. During our mandate, we have increased capital investment in public infrastructure. Last year marked a record with €654 million in total investments; we invested in energy and water supply; strengthened the performance of public enterprises, which moved from cumulative losses of €59 million to overall profits exceeding €195 million; increased internet speed and digital coverage nationwide, placing us alongside the most developed European countries; supported over 50,000 newly registered businesses, over 5,000 businesses with foreign ownership; doubled exports; and increased business turnover by around 80% compared to the pre-pandemic year 2019. If we once said “Kosovo has potential,” today we can say with confidence and pride: “Kosovo has results.”
Thank you all for this.
Of course, challenges remain. No government can promise that there will be no more complaints from businesses, especially when we have conducted as many inspections as we have. But what we can promise is to continue improving the business climate with the same principles: fewer unnecessary obstacles, more transparency; fewer undeserved privileges, more fair competition; less rhetoric, more results.
In the years ahead, our goal is to further strengthen this alliance with the private sector. To that end:
• we are establishing a new Agency for Investment and Export Promotion, “Kosova Invest,” with significantly greater human and budgetary capacities, including a mandate to contract external support to identify sustainable, export-oriented foreign direct investments; and
• we will further strengthen the role of the diaspora and strategic investors in priority sectors such as information technology, food processing, manufacturing and modern agriculture.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Kosovo today is safer, more democratic and economically stronger than five years ago. But the next chapter will not be written in government halls—it will be written in your offices, factories, workshops, fields, companies and startups. We will continue to create the framework; you will continue to create value. Together, with work and integrity, with all that we know and can do, future international reports will no longer ask “Why Kosovo?” but rather “How did Kosovo succeed so quickly and so well?”
I thank each and every one of you for our regular cooperation, for your constructive criticism, and above all for your courage to invest and create jobs in our beloved Kosovo.
I wish you a successful year-end, good health, and less bureaucracy in the year ahead—on which we are working especially hard.
Thank you.
