Ambassador Angili highlights strong ties between Türkiye and Kosovo.

Türkiye’s Ambassador to Pristina, Sabri Tunc Angili highlights the strengthening of Türkiye-Kosovo relations through economic and defense collaborations

Türkiye’s Ambassador to Pristina, Sabri Tunc Angili, emphasized the strengthening of Türkiye-Kosovo relations through collaborations in the economy and defense sectors.

Angili welcomed Gokhan Bicen, President of the Bursa-based Albanian Businessmen Association, and other businessmen to accompany him, who will attend the 10th Anniversary Fair of the Albanian Businessmen Association, scheduled for 17-18 May in Pristina, Kosovo at the embassy residence.

During the meeting, Bicen explained the association’s planned activities and stated their intentions to initiate investment-related discussions. Angili is to provide information about investment opportunities in the country.

Ambassador Angili told an AA correspondent that there are significant collaborations between Türkiye and Kosovo in the fields of economy, defense, culture, and education.

He highlighted the dynamic relationship between the two countries, not only at the governmental level but also among the people. Angili stated, “There is intense traffic from Türkiye here with civil society organizations, businessmen, university rectors, and vice versa from Kosovo to Türkiye. There is also intensive interaction between the parliaments of the two countries, with two to three reciprocal visits almost every month.”

Angili pointed out that the most rapidly advancing areas of cooperation between Türkiye and Kosovo recently have been in the economy and defense. He noted, “Especially with Türkiye taking over the command of NATO’s Peace Force (KFOR) last October, its contribution to Kosovo’s defense increased. At the same time, Türkiye has investments of over 400 million euros in Kosovo, with our companies operating in various sectors from the airport to electricity distribution and mining. Türkiye has been Kosovo’s largest trading partner for the past two years. All these collaborations contribute to advancing our relations in a mutually beneficial way across all sectors of the economy.”

Regarding guiding investors, Angili mentioned their assistance, saying, “We have a commercial attache office attached to our embassy. We also have the Kosovo-Türkiye Chamber of Commerce, established jointly by companies that have invested in Kosovo or are based here since 2009, which is quite active and serves as an effective platform for Turkish and Kosovar companies. As an embassy, we also provide all kinds of support if our businessmen need it.”

Kosovo imports about 25-26% of its total imports from Türkiye

Angili listed furniture, agriculture, food, and the service sector as priority areas for Turkish companies considering investment in production in Kosovo.

“Considering Kosovo’s young and educated population, information technologies stand out in terms of investment,” said Angili, adding, “If you compare the investments of Turkish companies in Kosovo to Kosovo’s gross domestic product, it might be one of the highest rates in the Balkans. Moreover, Kosovo imports about 25-26% of its total imports from Türkiye, placing Türkiye ahead of other major economies like Germany and China in this field. This is possibly the highest rate in the Balkans. Therefore, our intensive economic relationship positively impacts all aspects of our relations.”

Our common history is what has brought us to this day

Ambassador Sabri Tunc Angili emphasized centuries-old brotherly ties between Kosovo and Türkiye.

“If you think of this connection as a bridge, one end of it is our Kosovo-origin citizens living in Türkiye, and the other end is the Kosovar Turks living in Kosovo,” Angili explained, adding, “This always reminds us of our common history and strong ties between people. Based on this foundation, we have the Yunus Emre Institute here. We have three centers in Pristina, Prizren, and Peja. It provides Turkish education to over 600 Kosovars. At the same time, both the capital Pristina and the second-largest city Prizren have schools run by the Türkiye Maarif Foundation with around 600 students.”

Angili also noted the extensive activities of the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) across various fields and its support for projects related to our common cultural heritage. He mentioned the restoration of three mosques from the Ottoman era in Pristina – Sultan Murad, Yasar Pasa, and Fatih Mosques – by TIKA. He highlighted the active presence of Turkish institutions, including religious foundations, within Kosovo and their role in enhancing cultural and educational cooperation. Angili concluded, “Our common history is what has brought us to this day. What we do together today will carry us into the future.”

Source: AA