Prishtina, 5 February 2026
Acting Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, attended the marking of the French Business Day, organized by the European Investors Council in Kosovo.
In his address, Prime Minister Kurti said that Kosovo is ready for major infrastructure partnerships, is open to serious investments, and that we are expanding trade opportunities with the region, Europe and beyond.
“Our country, the Republic of Kosovo, is an independent and consolidated state, with a clear European orientation and yes, now we also have institutional stability, which is so much desired by businesses, as it offers public security, predictability and strong fiscal discipline,” said Prime Minister Kurti.
He added that we have worked to strengthen the rule of law, reduce informal practices and create a level playing field, because competition must be fair for those who innovate and invest.
The Prime Minister invited French companies to invest in our country, while adding that Kosovo is investing in infrastructure, because it drives everything else forward: competitiveness, energy security, logistics and quality of life. We want partnerships that bring high standards, transparent and competitive projects, completed on time.
He said that we are supporting a productive economy, where success is based on work, innovation and merit, and we are improving the investment climate through reforms that reduce the administrative burden and increase transparency. And in this regard, Prime Minister Kurti said that we want investments that create quality jobs, support exports and build real capacities, especially in manufacturing, services, information technology and green growth.
Full Speech of Prime Minister Kurti:
Dear Ambassador Guérot,
Dear Ms Rozeta Hajdari, Acting Minister of Industry, Entrepreneurship and Trade,
Dear Getoar Mjeku, Deputy Minister at the Ministry of Economy,
Dear Governor of the Central Bank of the Republic of Kosovo, Ahmet Ismajli,
Dear Director of Kosovo Customs, Agron Llugaliu,
Dear colleagues from the Assembly and the Government,
Dear representatives of the French Republic,
Dear Mr Emrush Ujkani, Director of the European Investors Council in Kosovo,
Dear leaders of French and Kosovan companies,
Dear representatives of various international organizations and institutions in Kosovo,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Dear attendees,
Welcome to Kosovo. It is a pleasure to welcome you to the French Business Day, at a time when Europe is reviewing supply chains, energy security and the type of partnerships that endure. And, if there is one word that should define our cooperation today, it is trust. Because trust is not only a value, it is an economic advantage.
In an unstable world, influenced by geopolitical tensions, technological transformations and fragmented regulation, integrity is not only rule compliance, integrity is competitiveness.
When rules are clear and applied fairly, good companies certainly grow, investors plan long term, and societies gain trust in the future.
Today I want to share three messages with you:
- First, Kosovo is ready for major infrastructure partnerships,
- Second, Kosovo is open to serious investments and;
- Third, Kosovo is expanding trade opportunities with Europe, with the region and beyond.
Our country, the Republic of Kosovo, is an independent and consolidated state, with a clear European orientation and yes, now we also have institutional stability, which is so much desired by businesses, as it offers public security, predictability and strong fiscal discipline.
We have worked to strengthen the rule of law, reduce informal practices and create a level playing field, because competition must be fair for those who innovate and invest.
We believe that the law brings us together as citizens of the same society and by no means divides us into those who are untouchable from those who become unprotected and, we support this approach with a tax framework that is both simple and competitive:
- Corporate income tax is 10 per cent.
- Dividend tax is zero.
- Wage tax is progressive, but up to 10 per cent.
- There is no customs duty on manufacturing machinery and;
- Exports are not taxed.
These are not only theoretical advantages. They are practical decisions that reward productivity, formal employment and investment in modern capacities.
For our guests from France, if you are here for infrastructure, you are in the right place.
Kosovo is investing in infrastructure, because it drives everything else forward: competitiveness, energy security, logistics and quality of life. We want partnerships that bring high standards, transparent and competitive projects, completed on time.
French companies are respected worldwide for engineering excellence, project delivery and proven quality. We want to involve you not only as contractors, but as long-term partners, bringing technology, training and innovation, and helping us build sustainable systems for the decades ahead.
Infrastructure is not only roads, railways and energy. It is trust. It shows every investor, every entrepreneur and every young person that the country is planning ahead and building successfully and for success.
Kosovo is often described as a country with potential. But our private sector is proving something even better: results.
Corporate profits in Kosovo in the past year, compared to five years earlier, have increased by 150 per cent. Kosovo is a place where others come and profit.
Compared to 4 and a half years earlier, the number of new businesses in Kosovo has increased by 26 per cent and the number of new foreign-owned businesses has increased by 55 per cent.
Our businesses are expanding, exporting and moving up value chains precisely thanks to cooperation. Therefore, we want both competitiveness under the law, and cooperation with trust.
We are supporting in Kosovo a productive, not dependent, economy, an economy where success is based on work, innovation and merit.
We are improving the investment climate through reforms that reduce the administrative burden and increase transparency. We want investments that create quality jobs, support exports and build real capacities, especially in manufacturing, services, information technology and green growth.
A light comment, because here today we have a serious business day, but it should also be human and social: as Prime Minister, I rarely get applause for reducing bureaucracy. But I have noticed something – that entrepreneurs applaud with their actions: when the process is simple, they come back. When it is complicated, they send their lawyers.
But beyond the humor, this is the essence: we want to make doing business in Kosovo easier, cleaner and faster, so that you focus on construction, production and exports.
Across Europe, companies seek reliability, that is, shorter supply chains, trusted partners and stable environments. Kosovo can be part of this common solution.
We are positioned to serve regional and European markets efficiently. We want to increase trade with France, more Kosovan products and services in France, more French products and know-how in Kosovo, and more joint ventures that export together.
I want to underline an important element for businesses aiming to export: exports are not taxed. Our aim is to encourage production and growth towards external markets, because exports increase capacities, raise standards and connect our economy more strongly with Europe.
Allow me a brief historical reflection on France and business, because the history of French business is, in many ways, the story of how trust becomes an advantage in the market.
France has helped shape modern trade not only through innovation, but also through a culture of reliability, where reputation, quality and honor carry weight. From artisanal traditions to modern industry, a French brand has long been a promise. A promise of standards, precision and pride in craftsmanship.
Entrepreneurs in Kosovo understand this as well. Our businesses grew in difficult years, keeping their word, preserving reputation, honoring agreements and building relationships that endure. In a country where everyone is connected, credibility spreads quickly and in business this is not a shortcoming, it is capital.
If there is something that French and Kosovan entrepreneurs share, it is this: success is not only taking risk, but being reliable even after you have taken the risk. And we, as the Government of the Republic, as the state of Kosovo, are here precisely to create security as a prerequisite for those who take risk for mutual benefit, both for companies and for the overall economy.
And since we are among friends, in Kosovo we say that we are a young state. But when it comes to entrepreneurship, sometimes our businesses not only look, but also are older than the state, because they learned resilience long before they learned bureaucracy.
Once again, welcome. Thank you very much for your participation and attention, and in the Republic of Kosovo you have not only a market and platform for investments, but also a Government that will always be your partner.
Thank you! Merci!
