North Macedonia’s Deputy PM for Economic Affairs Fatmir Bytyqi, who is paying a working visit to Kosovo on Tuesday, said it is extremely important for the governments of the Western Balkan countries to create coherent and consistent policies that will increase the region’s competitiveness.

According to him, such policies will enhance mutual economic cooperation, in order to improve living conditions and create a higher standard of living for all citizens of the region, instead of creating competition between the countries.

Bytyqi met Kosovo Minister of Trade, Entrepreneurship and Industry, Rozeta Hajdari, for talks on economic cooperation between the two countries, his office said in a press release.

“Through the Berlin Process, which is implemented with the support of influential EU member states, major steps have been taken to promote dialogue between governments and business community representatives, and major reforms have been launched to bring all Western Balkan countries closer to European Union membership,” Bytyqi said.

Economic cooperation as two neighboring and friendly countries, has a serious potential to further deepen, Bytyqi and Hajdari agreed, welcoming the fact that the trade exchange in the first three months of 2021 has increased by 30 percent is to be welcomed.

Hajdari and Bytyqi committed to continuation of joint efforts to boost economic cooperation between the two countries.