Kosovo’s Prime Minister, Albin Kurti, participated in the World Economic Forum held in Davos, Switzerland, where he discussed the importance of his visit and his meetings with various personalities.

In an interview with Euronews Albania from Davos, Kurti emphasized that this visit was more significant than previous ones, highlighting the opening of Kosovo’s House in Davos and the signing of a historic agreement with EFTA.

Albin Kurti’s Interview:

Journalist: Greetings, Prime Minister. Welcome to Switzerland, to Davos, where you are attending the World Economic Forum. This is an interview for Euronews Albania. To begin, can you tell us about the purpose of your visit to Davos?

Kurti: I’ve come to Davos, as I do every year since I became Prime Minister of Kosovo. This is my fourth time attending the World Economic Forum, but this year is special because, in addition to meetings, we have established and operationalized the House of Kosovo in Davos. In previous years, we were guests at others’ houses, but this time, we have our own House of Kosovo, where we are hosting guests.

Additionally, we had agreed that the signing of the agreement with EFTA – encompassing Iceland, Norway, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein – would take place during the World Economic Forum here in Davos. We achieved this in the House of Switzerland, a country that is home to many Albanians, approximately 300,000 according to statistics, of which over two-thirds are believed to be from Kosovo.

We have the House of Kosovo in Switzerland, which has also served as a home for our dissidents over the decades, for our refugees, and for the many workers, students, doctors, and nurses we have here.

Journalist: It seems to be the first and only one from the Balkans, as far as I know?

Kurti: Yes, without a doubt, we have an extraordinary presence here, and it was high time for us to have the House of Kosovo in Davos.

Journalist: You’ve had a series of meetings and a busy diplomatic and political agenda. Have you met with prominent figures?

Kurti: Yes! I met with the Prime Minister of Lithuania, Ingrida Šimonytė, and the Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Espen Barth Eide. I also had several brief meetings, lunches, and dinners organized in Davos, where, on one hand, we showcased Kosovo’s achievements – including democratic advancements and economic growth – and, on the other, addressed the security challenges posed by Serbia, which we have consistently overcome.

We now have a gathering in Zurich and will continue with our campaign in Kosovo, leading up to the parliamentary elections on Sunday, February 9th, which will be the first regular elections following a full four-year government mandate since the declaration of independence.

Journalist: Lastly, the agreement with EFTA: what does it mean for Kosovo in terms of economic and trade perspectives?

Kurti: Kosovo’s Ministry of Industry, Entrepreneurship, and Trade, led by Rozeta Hajdari, negotiated with wisdom and determination. I can say it exceeded my expectations as Prime Minister, as at one point, I thought we could only achieve an agreement on the trade of goods, similar to other Balkan countries. However, Minister Rozeta insisted on continuing negotiations, and she succeeded in including services as well.

We are particularly interested in including services in trade because we export many services from the information and communication technology sector. Now, our entrepreneurs have gained access to a new market, providing an additional opportunity to boost production in Kosovo and increase Kosovo’s exports, which, for the first time, surpassed €1 billion in 2024.

Journalist: Thank you, Prime Minister, for the interview with Euronews Albania.