The President of the Kosovo Chamber of Commerce, Lulzim Rafuna, said on “Përballje Podcast” that Kosovo has not had a good image in the eyes of the international community in recent years, which has directly influenced the lack of foreign investment.
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“It has not been a good image of Kosovo, to be honest, in the eyes of the international community. There has been a lot of dissatisfaction, especially due to the fact that we are still under European Union sanctions and after the suspension of the strategic dialogue,” Rafuna declared, writes Telegrafi.
He said that these developments have created uncertainty among large investors, who see Kosovo as an unstable environment for long-term capital.
“All of this affects big investors, big businesses. Ninety-nine percent of them, before deciding to invest in Kosovo, meet with their governments and ask about the image that the government of that country has of Kosovo.”
According to Rafuna, public communication by state officials has negatively impacted the perception of security in the country.
“We have often heard statements in the media that ‘we are being attacked by Serbia’, ‘the Serbian army is near the border’ – while we have not sold the image that Kosovo is a safe country, protected by NATO troops, where every investor is welcome.”
He added that internal political problems, delays in the formation of institutions, and frequent government changes worsen the situation:
“If the government changes every year, investors don’t feel safe investing. Every year, fiscal policy or legislation changes – and this disrupts business. Serious business doesn’t enter such an environment, it waits, and Kosovo suffers from foreign investment.”
Rafuna emphasized that in the last three years, no major European brand has come to invest in Kosovo, which indicates a clear gap in economic diplomacy policy.
“As the president of the Chamber, I have not seen a single European brand come to invest in Kosovo in these three years. And this is worrying.”
Finally, he appealed for the government to focus on creating political and legal stability, as a prerequisite for attracting foreign capital and improving the country’s image abroad.