P.E.R.S.O.N.A.L.I.T.I.E.S is quite delighted today to host a good friend and a very nice person, Mr. Ahmet, Jetullahu Meti. We have met us also during The ‘Tourism for Future’ project kick-off meeting which was a significant milestone in our friendship and collaboration journey toward responsible and sustainable tourism practices and networking among Greece and Balkan Region’s. I was hosted in Peja and I explored the awesome Balkan hospitality and generosity.
Now, we have the opportunity to collaborate us one more time and strive bridges of synergy among Balkan and Greece.
Honorable Mr. Ahmet Jetullahu Meti, Pristina REA director and founder of Balkonnect Festival, according to your experience how difficult was it to organize, to find sponsors and to establish from scratch the first Balkonnect Festival?
Organizing the first edition of the Balkonnect Festival was both a challenge and a privilege. Starting from scratch required not only vision, but also a great deal of coordination, credibility and persistence. We had to build a strong regional narrative, secure institutional trust and inspire partners to believe in the long-term potential of this platform, aiming at building a new common Identity, a business perspectve bridge of Balkan prominent industries to globally. Thanks to the support of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), our committed Prishtina REA team and the willingness of stakeholders across the Western Balkans and beyond, we turned the idea into a reality. It was not easy-but it was absolutely worth it, a new vision platform, as a rotating festival among capitals of six WB countries.
How many countries are going to participate?
We are proud to welcome participants from, currently, over 34 countries, including all Western Balkan states, as well as delegations and companies from Greece, Italy, Austria, Germany, Bulgaria, Czech, France, Portugal, India, the UK, the United States, the UAE etc. This diversity reflects the essence of Balkonnect—creating bridges between the region and the transnational ecosystem.
What will Balkonnect Festival mean for Balkan countries in the future, particularly in relation to AI, business foresight, and literacy?
Balkonnect is more than an event—it is a forward-looking platform, a real business,investment and innovation FESTIVAL. In the years to come, we believe it will play a key role in improving business foresight and sustainable innovation, especially in fields like digital literacy, AI, fintech etc. Through its thematic sessions and cross-border dialogue, the festival will help Balkan economies anticipate change, embrace emerging technologies and build the human capital required for a digital and inclusive future.
What are the secrets of a very successful festival?
The secret lies in authentic collaboration, creative Identity, shared purpose and attention to detail. A successful festival brings together the right people, under the right themes, in the right setting—while ensuring that every voice is heard and every connection matters. Balkonnect succeeds because it is rooted in regional values but open to global ideas. The meaning full content of having seven priority thematic industry-based sessions, paralell B2B event, Pitching event, inspirational talks and social networking events make our Festival a unique, branded one.
Regarding the Greek Delegation, what are your expectations? You’ve covered a broad range of topics— innovation, construction, ecology, investments, social entrepreneurship, culture, media, etc.
We are honored to have a strong and dynamic Greek delegation joining Balkonnect Festival 2025. Greece is a vital partner in cross-regional development, a real innovation hub, the closest EU member state to Ksoovo and we are excited to see participation from both the public and private sectors, as well as cultural and media representatives. The topics we’ve included, reflect the complexity of today’s interconnected world—from social impact and sustainability to construction innovation, digitalization, and cultural diplomacy, i.e its huge and promising capital to cooperation. Our expectation is to spark new partnerships, foster regional trust and open doors for long-term linkages between Greek and Balkan stakeholders.
We wish you all the best and for sure will be a life time experience.
From the Greek Delegation will attend Mr. Alexander Stavros Efstathiou from Apollo Capital Investment Group, Mr. George Staikos with Staikos Ltd, Mr. Vasilios Rokos from Roca Ceramics, Ms Laura Adami from BIZZ GROUP companies, Ms. Eirini Androutsou owner of Music Land Productions, Dr. Antigone Oreopoulou from Help Hellas Academy and Ms Lena Kyropoulos Association of European Journalists/ Representative Brussels. Some Pitch will be presented by Mr. Goran Kelemen and Ms Anjelika Evans and the Veloways company.