Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić and the Prime Ministers of North Macedonia and Albania, Zoran Zaev and Edi Rama, held Tuesday a video conference to discuss future steps in regional cooperation as part of the mini-Schengen initiative, seen as a process of vital importance for progress in the Western Balkans and the EU integration process as a whole.
The leaders concurred that the Western Balkan countries need EU membership as much as the EU needs the Western Balkans because the region is bordering the EU and the EU hopefuls in the region share joint European values, Serbian President’s office said adding that Vučić, Zaev and Rama called for the four European liberties: movement of people, goods, services and capital, to start implementing as soon as possible across the region.
“In this context, they will completely support the regional common market at the Berlin Process Summit on July 5,” said the press release, MIA’s Belgrade correspondent reports.
“We’re aware that only through joint cooperation and embracing regional cooperation as part of various regional initiatives such as common market, regional Schengen, green corridors or the Berlin Process, we can bring our economies closers, increase the wellbeing of our people and attract major investments that will be available for all of us individually,” it was jointly concluded at the video conference.
The leaders agreed to meet in Skopje on July 29 to review the progress made with the implementation of existing initiatives and projects and sign additional agreements between the three countries involving obligations stemming from the Berlin Process as well as cooperation and assistance in the event of natural disasters and facilitation of trade and import and export of goods.
“We call on and encourage our colleagues in the region to sign and implement similar agreements to allow soon the vision of common political and economic space across the Western Balkans to become an integral part of everyday lives of our citizens through a single market,” urged Vučić, Zaev and Rama.
Even through the EU enlargement process has been delayed, the Western Balkans leaders urged they will continue to seek new ways, policy areas and financial instruments in order Serbia, North Macedonia and Albania to increase their contribution to Europe, strengthen ties with the European Union and the region to integrate gradually into the single European market.
Referring to the Green Agenda, the leaders called on the European Union and the United States to join the countries in the region in supporting the development of projects on improving the environment, increasing the scope of use of renewable sources as part of the EU Economic and Investment Plan and the Western Balkans Green Agenda.
“Our countries have huge potential for sustainable growth and development in this sector. We’ll seek practical support to find out which projects could improve our region considering renewable energy sources of our citizens and for EU green energy future,” President Vučić, PMs Zaev and Rama said concluding that only EU-supported regional connectivity could strengthen stability and progress of the entire region and Europe.
