Montenegro joined the discussion of the “small Schengen” project
President of Montenegro Milo Djukanovic joined a meeting of Western Balkan leaders dedicated to the creation of a “small Schengen”. The summit, which took place in the Albanian capital Tirana, was attended by Serbian leader Aleksandar Vucic, local Prime Minister Edi Rama and head of government of North Macedonia Zoran Zaev.
“We talked about improving trade, capital flows and services, and it seems to me that we have made important decisions and we will sign them either in Belgrade or in Podgorica,” Vucic said.
Djukanovic, in turn, confirmed that the Montenegrin authorities are ready to host the event, however, according to him, regional initiatives cannot replace the strategic goal of Podgorica - EU membership.
“The important thing is that we have agreed on common software, so if an Albanian goes to Serbia and wants to work, we will already have his data, because we will receive the information through the networks. And vice versa. This is extremely important, this is extraordinary news that brings huge changes,” added the Serbian president.
Macedonian Prime Minister Zaev clarified that the project will also contribute to the development of tourism. “If Chinese tourists land at Belgrade airport, they should be able to travel freely to all countries in the region,” the head of government explained.
The separatist authorities of Kosovo again refused to participate in the project, although they had previously received an invitation to the summit.
“We invited everyone to Tirana, as in previous meetings. For me, the continued refusal of the Kosovo authorities to be present at this table is something that I cannot understand. This is also important for Kosovo itself. We are here to build a bridge between the past that divides us and the future that unites us. The whole process is linked to the commitment of each country to become part of the European family,” said the Prime Minister of Albania.
Let us note that the Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Denis Zvizdic, also previously stated that Sarajevo does not have a definite position on participation in the Mini-Schengen project.
The initiative to remove obstacles along the lines of the EU was launched initially by President Vucic, who gathered the prime ministers of North Macedonia and Albania in Novi Sad two months ago. It is expected that starting from 2021, borders between countries will disappear, and the free exchange of goods, people, services and capital will begin. The capacity of the new market is estimated at 12 million people.
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