Kosovo completes free trade negotiations with EFTA
SeeNews | 27 September 2024
Kosovo completes free trade negotiations with EFTA
by Genta Hodo
September 27 (SeeNews) - Kosovo’s industry ministry said it has successfully concluded negotiations for a free trade agreement with the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), which includes Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein.
The agreement, which was reached after four rounds of talks, covers both trade of goods and services, the ministry said in a press release on Thursday.
Kosovo opened negotiations with EFTA in 2022. The agreement grants Kosovo access to EFTA’s markets with reduced or eliminated tariffs on a range of goods, while also improving access for Kosovo service providers to EFTA markets.
The deal is pending approval from the legislative bodies of all countries involved.
EFTA was founded in 1960 as an alternative to the European Economic Community (EEC), a precursor to the European Union (EU), for countries that wanted to participate in free trade without becoming part of the bloc.
