Skopje: Frustrated with the delay in obtaining European Union membership for their country, three Balkan leaders signed an agreement on Thursday to open their national border to citizens and their respective products in 2023 without limitation.
Serbian President, Aleksandar Vucic, and the North Albanian Prime Minister and North Macedonia, Edi Rama and Zoran Zaev, signed three agreements during the economic forum in the North Macedonia capital, Skopje, organized by the three-state trading room.
“If we successfully overcome administrative problems, starting January 1, 2023, there will be a border, but there will be no stop for our citizens,” Vucic said.
“No one will stop from Belgrade to Tirana and vice versa.
This will be a historic moment.” The Balkan leaders signed a contract facilitating trade and movement, cooperation in the face of disasters and free the labor market by eliminating the requirements of work permits and simplification procedures.
VISA-free travel and customs free trade is one of the most famous features of the UE 27-Nation.
The initiative to allow the flow of freight, capital and society between Serbia, Albania and North Macedonia began in 2019, and now dubbed “Open Balkans.” Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro have also been invited to join, but so far have not done so far.
The three leaders repeated their disappointment for the UE’s failure to start membership talks with Albania and North Macedonia, after Bulgaria blocked Skopje’s offer due to disputes about history and language.
Northern Macedonia has been a candidate to join the EU since 2005.
Zaev said the UE failure to fulfill his promise due to bilateral problems with one UE member, although both North Macedonia and Albania have fulfilled all the criteria in, is “against Europe ideas, against the interests of the EU itself .
“Balkan West countries” cannot wait for all EU internal problems resolved “so that the area to move forward, he said.