Government’s national coordinator for Open Balkan initiative Marjan Zabrchanec told Belgrade’s Politika daily that identification number for the nationals of North Macedonia, Albania and Serbia will soon be activated, thanks to which they will be able to work in the private sector in any of those three countries, transmits МIA.
“The Open Balkan Identification Number will be activated very soon for the Open Balkans nationals thanks to which they will be able to work in the private sector in any of these three countries, without recognition of diplomas, waiting for work permits and any other administrative obstacles,” Zabrchanec said, MIA’s Belgrade correspondent reported.
He added that the preparations for launching electronic toll collection system on the motorways in the Open Balkans member countries is in the final phase.
“Open Balkans is mobilized at the level of crisis working groups to ensure that each of the three countries will be prepared ahead of difficult winter in terms of energy and economic crisis,” he noted. He underlined that the relations between Serbia and Albania are the best so far, as well as the relations between North Macedonia and Albania.
According to Zabrchanec, a significant step forward was made by forming a working group aimed at the creating a joint investment agency “Open Balkans”, which had its first meetings during the International Wine Fair that was recently held in Belgrade. Zabrchanec said that the process of creating a joint investment portfolio as a market of over 12 million people with all the human, economic and natural potential of the countries, has begun.
“The goal is clear, to offer ourselves to large investors from the USA, as well as to attract the EU and the world as a region where they can expand their businesses,” Zabrchanec added.
According to him, Open Balkan initiative has a clear political goal, which is for each of the Western Balkan countries to become a member of the EU, and this initiative is primarily European and cannot be an alternative to the EU.
Zabrchanec also said that the Open Balkans offers concrete results, tangible benefits for companies and citizens, facilitated movement, business, assistance between countries in conditions of energy crisis and food crisis, as well as assistance in case of natural disasters, at the same time without impeding any other initiative.
