Albania’s PM, Edi Rama held a video conference call, with the Macedonian PM, Zoran Zaev and the president of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, during which they discussed on the initiative of the Mini-Schengen.
The three Balkan leaders expressed their convictions that the states of the Western Balkans, should become members of the European Union, while also saying that the EU needs the Balkans as they are surrounded by the Union’s borders.
Rama, Zaev and Vucic called for the implementation of the four fundamental European freedoms, – free movement of its citizens, goods, services and capital so that the region can function as one united market.
“Only by working together and accepting regional cooperation through initiatives like a joint market, the mini Schengen, the green corridors or the Berlin Process, we can be able to improve the living standard of our citizens and bring about big investments,” said the conclusion statement of their joint conference.
The Balkan leaders also made an appeal to the other countries of the region to follow the same model, in order to create a joint political and economic space in the Western Balkans.
Rama, Zaev and Vucic also called on the EU and U.S to support the projects for regional development through investments, protection of the environment and the use of renewable resources through the Green Agenda of the Western Balkans.
“Our countries have a great and steadily growing potential in the progression of this sector. We will ask for the valuable support for these projects, which will improve the sources of renewable energy,” concludes their joint statement.
The leaders of Albania, Serbia and North Macedonia announced that their upcoming meeting will be held in Skopje, on July 29th, in order to reassess the progress achieved as well as the implementation of the existing agreement amongst these three countries.
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