The Hungarian-Kosovar Joint Commission on Economic Cooperation held its second Session in Budapest
The second Session of the Hungarian-Kosovar Joint Commission on Economic Cooperation (JCEC) was held in Budapest on 1-2 February 2023, chaired by Péter Sztáray, State Secretary for Security Policy and Energy Security of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary, and his Kosovar partner, Rozeta Hajdari, Minister of Industry, Entrepreneurship and Trade at the Government of Kosovo.
State Secretary Péter Sztáray underlined Hungary's commitment to the cooperation with the Western Balkan countries. In this regard, the Hungarian Co-Chair also highlighted that the political and economic stability and prosperity of the region are of key importance for our country and the EU. Therefore, we welcome any opportunity to hold a dialogue with the Kosovar partners and we strongly encourage the visa liberalisation for Kosovo. We are convinced that this measure could also contribute to maintain Kosovo's European perspective.
During the Co-Chairs’ meeting, the Sides discussed and evaluated the areas of cooperation identified during the experts’ meeting and the achievements in these fields, with special regard to economic cooperation, manufacturing industry, treasury, agriculture and food industry, environmental protection and water management, tourism, education, research and development, science and technology. Mr. Péter Sztáray was pleased to note that our bilateral trade with Kosovo has almost tripled since 2015 and expressed the hope that this positive tendency will continue.
The Sides welcomed the fact that in the field of science diplomacy cooperation between Hungary and Kosovo agricultural innovation has special importance. Considering that Hungary has significant experience and expertise in several sectors of agriculture, we are ready to provide professional support to the Kosovar Side in the fields of seed breeding, forestry, the production and quality control of high quality honey.
Education plays an important role in the Hungary-Kosovo relations. The Stipendium Hungaricum scholarship programme, which celebrates its 10th anniversary this year, is very popular in Kosovo, with the number of Kosovar applicants regularly exceeding the annually offered 75 scholarships. The Co-Chairs agreed that there is growing interest in educational cooperation between the Hungarian and Kosovar higher education institutions.
Following the plenary session, the Co-Chairs signed the Protocol of the 2nd Session of the Hungarian-Kosovar JCEC and then the representatives of the University of Pannonia and the University of Pristina signed a memorandum of understanding. The Sides agreed that the forthcoming session of the Hungarian-Kosovar JCEC will take place in Pristina.
On the margin of the JCEC, HEPA Hungarian Export Promotion Agency and the Kosovo Investment and Enterprise Support Agency (KIESA) organised a business forum, which provided a great opportunity to develop business relations between the Hungarian and Kosovar companies. Within the framework of the Forum, the two export promotion agencies signed a memorandum of cooperation to further strengthen their future partnership.
