His Excellency, Honorable French Ambassador Mr. Didier Chabert opened the Conference named: “Building a Geographical Indication for the Sharri cheese – Operational discussion workshop” and confirmed the French support in the upcoming activities in relation to the further strengthening of the Geographical Indication in Kosovo, to facilitate the protection and registration of the Sharri Cheese as the first domestic GI in Kosovo.
On the other hand, Mr. Hoti, Director of the Kosovo Institute of Intellectual Property, thanked the French Ambassador and his financial and political support provided to the Institute and the GI System in Kosovo.
Two French Researchers who worked closely with Sharri Cheese Producers in the Sharri Region, in identification of the product specifications of the Sharri Cheese – soon to be protected as Geographical Indications, made the presentation of their Research Paper on Sharri Cheese. The aim of this presentation was to further notify the main Kosovar Geographical Indications Stakeholders on the main findings of the Research Paper, which shall help the Sharri Cheese Association draft the Book of Requirements and the Product Specifications.
Mr. Faton Thaqi, the Deputy Minister, talked on behalf of the Ministry of Trade and Industry, whereas Mr. Kapllan Halimi, Secretary General of the Ministry, talked on behalf of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Development.
The Conference was followed by a fruitful discussion of the participants coming from various institutions such as: European Union Office, Kosovo Customs, Agency for Food and Veterinary, Wines Department, Sharri Cheese Association, etc.
The project “Agrarian system analysis and actors’ collective action for building a Geographical Indication file on Sharri Cheese” was organized in cooperation with the BiodivBalkans project, funded by the French Fund for World Environment (FFEM) & co-implemented by MADA, CIHEAM-IAMM – an intergovernmental organization dedicated to agriculture and rural development in the Mediterranean, with the support of The Ministry of Agriculture, Agri-food, and Forestry of France, the French network of public agricultural expertise, food and rural development, with the support of the French Embassy in Kosovo, in relation with Kosovo Institute of Intellectual Property – a non-for-profit association aiming to promote the intellectual property rights in Kosovo and in the region.
Prishtina, 8th of December 2017
