EFTA and Kosovo conclude negotiations on a free trade agreement

The FTA covers areas such as trade in goods and services, intellectual property rights, trade facilitation, competition, trade and sustainable development, and legal and horizontal provisions. 

Four years after the signing of a joint declaration on cooperation in Geneva, Switzerland, negotiations towards an FTA were launched in 2022 in Borgarnes, Iceland. Subsequently, four rounds of negotiations took place. 

“Today’s agreement marks not just the conclusion of negotiations, but the beginning of a stronger partnership between our countries. I am convinced that this Free Trade Agreement paves the way for greater economic growth, shared prosperity, and new economic opportunities for businesses, industries, and citizens on both sides”, said the EFTA spokesperson for the process, Karin Büchel, at the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs. 

Bilateral EFTA–Kosovo merchandise trade has increased rapidly since 2008, reaching more than EUR 176 million in 2023. EFTA’s main exports to Kosovo in 2023 were vehicles, pharmaceutical products, machinery and tobacco. In the same year, merchandise imports from Kosovo consisted mainly of furniture, plastics, articles of iron and steel, and wood and wood products.  

Read more about merchandise trade between EFTA and Kosovo here. 

Fact sheet

Photos

Ögmundur Hrafn Magnússon (Iceland), Patrick Ritter (Liechtenstein), Karin Büchel (Switzerland), Rozeta Hajdari (Minister of Industry, Entrepreneurship and Trade of the Republic of Kosovo), Lars Erik Nordgaard (Norway), Zef Dedaj (Republic of Kosovo) and Markus Schlagenhof (EFTA Secretariat).