Balkan countries have to increase competitiveness instead of competition. Regional competitiveness is the key that opens the door for Western Balkan countries, concluded Deputy PM for Economic Affairs Fatmir Bytyqi and Montenegrin Deputy PM Dritan Abazović, who is paying a day-long visit.
At a bilateral meeting in Skopje, Bytyqi and Abazović discussed ways to increase economic cooperation and raised the issue of establishing a so called ‘green lane’ for tourists in the coming season to allow uninterrupted tourist trips.
The two government officials concluded that North Macedonia and Montenegro must focus on rule of law and fight against corruption and organized crime.
We have to help each other on our path to EU integration, said Bytyqi and Abazović, noting that the region has to make a breakthrough and accept the rules of the developed democratic world.
“One of the topic up for discussion was also the mini-Schengen [initiative]. I prefer to talk about economic cooperation because one of the key challenges of all governments in the region is the job we have to do for our economies. We shouldn’t be each other’s competition, we should work together. These are the steps we will all work in,” Deputy PM Bytyqi said.
The countries in the region, said Abazović, together should pave the way toward the European future and the region is tired of disputes, the countries should focus their efforts on the economy, progress and environment.
“We have to be all committed to this. The countries in the Western Balkans have to make a breakthrough, to change and to accept the rules of the democratic world. It is the interest of our countries, not only of the EU. It won’t matter if it is a joint or individual failure if we fail to make it happen. We have extended our hand to all countries in the Western Balkans,” the Montenegrin Deputy PM told the news conference.
He invited Macedonian citizens to spend their summer vacation in Montenegro. In order the coming tourist season to be successful, Abazović noted, measures must be respected, there should be a sufficient number of vaccinated people and efforts should be made the governments not to introduce quarantine for tourists returning to their countries.
Deputy PM Abazović, as part of his visit, will also meet with Parliament Speaker Talat Xhaferi, First Deputy PM and Minister for Political System Artan Grubi and Interior Minister Oliver Spasovski.
