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Kosovo: Potato chips bring Serbs and Albanians together

Sanja Kljajic | Idro Seferi

Despite ongoing tension between Belgrade and Pristina, ethnic Serbs and ethnic Albanians in Kosovo have found a way not just to coexist but to thrive. Boban Ristic and Agron Halimi from Vushtrri discovered common ground in potato chip production. For them, economics takes precedence over politics.

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As Belgrade and Pristina escalate their rhetoric over the reopening of the bridge over the Ibar river in Mitrovica — a bridge that separates the Albanian-majority south of the city from the Serb-majority north — many in Kosovo are focused on finding ways to live peacefully.

Boban Ristic and Agron Halimi from Vushtrri have forged a successful partnership in the field of potato chip production. Ristic cultivates the potatoes, while Halimi oversees quality control at the Vipa potato chip factory. Their collaboration, which has been going on for years, is an example of how economic survival trumps political differences.

Located in northern Kosovo, 15 kilometers from Mitrovica, the municipality of Vushtrri is predominantly ethnic Albanian, with ethnic Serbs remaining in just a few surrounding villages. The Vipa potato chip factory, which was founded in 2004 with the help of a Serbian engineer, remains a symbol of interethnic cooperation in Kosovo.

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