Prishtina, 19 May 2026
Honourable Ms. Mimoza Kusari-Lila, Minister of Industry, Entrepreneurship, Trade and Innovation,
Honourable Mr. Armend Muja, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Development,
Honourable Ambassador Maurizio Antonini, Ambassador of Italy to Kosovo,
Honourable Ambassador Nita Shala,
Honourable Mr. Donato Scaglione, Vice President of the Italian Growers Association,
Honourable Mr. Antonino Cusenza, representative of Hora e Arbëreshëve,
Honourable representatives of the business community from Italy and Kosovo,
Honourable representatives of the institutions of the Republic of Kosovo and the Republic of Italy,
Dear Arbëreshë community,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Benvenuti in Kosova!
It is my pleasure to welcome you today within the framework of the Agribusiness Forum, a platform that brings together institutions, companies, and entrepreneurs from two friendly countries with the aim of creating partnerships that are both concrete and long-term.
I would like to thank the Italian Farmers’ Association, Associazione Italiana Coltivatori (AIC), its President Giuseppino Santoianni, as well as all the partners who contributed to organizing this event. The presence today in Kosovo of such a representative delegation from the Italian agri-food sector is an indication of the serious interest in economic cooperation with our country.
This forum gains special importance also from the participation of Mr. Nicola Caputo, adviser for exports and internationalization of the agri-food sector at the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Your presence here today is proof of the institutional support of Italy for strengthening cooperation between our two countries.
Italy is one of the most important partners of the Republic of Kosovo in the fields of economy, diplomacy, security, and support for the development of our country. Our relations are strong, and now is the time for them to deepen even more in the economic and production dimensions.
The Italian agri-food sector is among the most developed in Europe and over time has become an example of combining tradition with quality and innovation. Today in Prishtina we have Italian companies that represent precisely this model, from wine and olive oil producers to organic products, premium gastronomy, and the food industry.
This forum is of particular importance because economic development does not come only from capital, but is built through partnerships, the exchange of experiences, and direct connections between businesses.
Kosovo today offers macroeconomic stability, a sustainable financial and fiscal system, competitive taxes, and an increasingly favorable environment for investments. In recent years we have increased exports, improved the business climate, and attracted new investments. But above all, Kosovo has the energy of its people — a young, dynamic, and entrepreneurial population seeking serious and long-term partnerships.
Therefore, this forum also carries special importance and great potential to bear fruit: here companies and products are presented, and direct contacts are created among interested parties such as producers, institutions, and investors. And it is precisely these contacts that form the basis upon which concrete projects and long-term cooperation are built.
I am convinced that the B2B meetings, business-to-business discussions, professional exchanges, and promotional activities organized today will create new opportunities for cooperation between Kosovo and Italy, not only in the agro-industrial sector but beyond.
Kosovo is open to investments, to new ideas, and to serious economic partnerships.
Vi ringrazio per la vostra presenza e vi auguro un forum di successo.
Thank you very much and welcome once again to Kosovo. I wish you new and ever greater successes in the future.