One Balkan – Stronger Balkans

Tirana International Fair 2021

On behalf of the Western Balkans Six Chamber Investment Forum from the first to the fourth of December 2021 in Tirana Albania, 30 SMEs food processing companies and 6 large retail chains/distributors from the Western Balkans were part of the Tirana International Fair 2021, which is the most important fair event in Albania and one of the most important events of this kind in the region.
At the opening ceremony Mr. Branko Azeski President of the Economic Chamber of North Macedonia and Deputy-Chairman of the Western Balkans 6 Chamber Investment Forum and the President of the Union of Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Albania Ms. Ines Mucostepa addressed the participants.
“Although several regional chambers of commerce have been taking part of this fair, with their own space years on end, some of which are represented with a national exhibition space this year as well, I am especially proud that for the first time, we will have a joint regional stand of the Chamber Investment Forum, which will represent 30 companies-producers from the food sector which in the coming days, will have meetings with representatives of distributers, large supermarket chains from six Western Balkan economies and simultaneously, they will hold B2B meetings with interested visitors and exhibitors present at the fair.”- pointed out Mr. Branko Azeski.
“We think that our task is to bring closer the businesses of our countries. If we are talking today about the businesses of our countries, we are talking about 350,000 businesses represented by the six national chambers of commerce and all these businesses have a mission: how to complement the business climate and how to have as few barriers to doing business in the regional context. I think that events such as our fair in Tirana, I think it is one of the most important fairs that exist in the Balkans, it is to be supported, say the businesses themselves that participate in this fair because the number of participants in this fair from year to year is always higher” – said Ms. Ines Mucostepa.
Representatives of SMEs engaged in the food production process held two sessions B2B meetings and two sessions of presentations and networking with the large retail chains from the region. The possibilities for cooperation were presented by ESSI Group, Eco Market, Domaca Trgovina, DIS, Royal Food and Dauti Komerc during the Tirana International Fair 2021. This event opens the door to new business arrangements, and strengthening the economies of the WB6 countries. There was a significant interest between food production SMEs and distributors and large retail chains for further business cooperation and seizing the opportunities.
The number of companies from Albania, Serbia, North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Kosovo at the fair in Tirana shows how much the companies are interested, and this event should make a great impact on the development of the WB6 economy.
The pavilion of WB6CIF – TIRANA INTERNATIONAL FAIR 2021 was visited by Mr. Fatmir Bytyqi – Deputy of the Prime Minister in charge of economic affairs, coordination of economic sectors and investments in the Government of the Republic of North Macedonia. Mr. Bytyqi said that greater competitiveness in the Western Balkans, instead of creating competition between countries, means better cooperation, a stable and more attractive region, greater opportunities to attract investment and provide better jobs for all our citizens.
On the fair this year were held over 150 B2B meetings. Tirana International Fair gives participants a unique opportunity to generate new business contacts and potential contracts, to get in touch with both buyers and suppliers, and to have already arranged meetings with new business partners from the Western Balkans economies, as well with companies form other European countries.