The idea of a “mini-Schengen” in the Balkans has stalled
In Skopje, Macedonia, a meeting was once again held between Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, the prime ministers of Albania and North Macedonia Edi Rama and Zoran Zaev regarding the “mini-Schengen” project.
The initiative, which was born on the sidelines of the administration of former US President Donald Trump, has still not found support in other Balkan states since the end of 2019.
As a PolitNavigator correspondent reports, a major economic forum is being held in Skopje as part of the mini-Schengen initiative with the participation of Vucic, Zaev and Rama.
“We remain with sovereign and independent states, but with open borders, because it will be enough to be on the territory of one country to send data to another using special programs. You will have lower operating costs and there will be no congestion between us. Whatever you sell, you win…. We need to work together to attract investment. Our three countries will end the year with €76 billion, significantly less than Slovakia alone, and we could reach their level in five or six years if we start changing the balance of power. We can start the growth mechanism if we put in the effort,” Vučić said.
“This is an invitation to participate and be active actors, and to convey the message that the Balkans are moving towards creating an effective level of cooperation,” Zaev said in his address to the forum participants. – I want to assure you that our political will - President Vučić, Prime Minister Rama is such that we are doing everything for fruitful cooperation... Our goal is to unite our economies to improve the life of every person and citizen.. People should feel the economic benefits as soon as possible, and we hope that we will soon experience an improvement in the lives of citizens... We are more committed than ever to the realization of the four freedoms: the movement of goods, the development of infrastructure, the XNUMX-hour operation of all services, and the expansion of all corridors.”
In turn, in his speech, Edi Rama hastened to dispel the fears of his fellow tribesmen that “minischengen” would become a kind of reincarnation of Yugoslavia and the expansion of Belgrade’s influence.
“Those who claim that “mini-Schengen” stands for Serbian hegemony live in a parallel world... I believe that all Balkan countries should be part of this initiative, because it is for the benefit of the countries and citizens participating in this system. The past should not dictate how much we will develop in any area in the future,” Rama added.
However, today a statement came from the administration of the “Prime Minister” of Kosovo Albin Kurti, who is shaking from any prospect of integration with Serbia, that the idea of a mini-Schengen “does not enjoy our approval.”
Earlier, Deputy Prime Minister of Montenegro, Albanian Dritan Abazovic, expressed skepticism about the initiative.
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