TIRANA, December 21/ATA/ Prime Minister Edi Rama stated today that the goal of the “Open Balkan” initiative is for the Balkan to have no borders for anyone who will move freely, or exchange goods, capital and services.
During the joint press conference, at the end of the “Open Balkans” summit that took place today in Tirana, PM Rama informed that, “By the end of February 2022, we will meet again in North Macedonia to advance this process.”
PM Rama said that it is intended that after the removal of non-tariff barriers for exporters and importers within the space to address the removal of tariff barriers.
“Today it was clear, said Commissioner Varhelyi, that the EC fully supports the ‘Open Balkan’ and invites the other three countries to join,” Rama said.
The prime minister stressed that, “The initiative is now taking on a meaningful form with an impact on the lives of citizens.”
“Today, we have signed a series of agreements that are the finalization of an intensive joint work. These agreements signed today are a tangible reality tomorrow, and not tomorrow in the future, but tomorrow with the beginning of the New Year 2022”, said PM Rama.
The agreement on the free labor market, according to him, “Sanctions the possibility and the right of all citizens of the three countries, to have immediate and equal access to work and residence permits.”
PM Rama also added that, “The other agreements finally pave the way for all those who have been interacting between these countries for years as producers, exporters, importers of products and who have a difficult history of waiting in line.”
“The agreement stipulates from January next year to cross freely at the respective borders and customs, without having to provide 3 times the same documents, when it comes to all documents related to the export-import of agricultural or livestock products “, he said.
The prime minister stressed that, “The agreement makes it possible for the first time to open the export of livestock products, including that of live animals.”
“It is long-awaited news for all those who are in the field of livestock and meat products, because none of our countries can do that with the EU yet. All these producers in our countries are super interested in new markets”, said Rama.
The prime minister said that, “All these are like, neither more nor less, the common market agreements between the EU member states, based on the same principles and needs of farmers and the regional common market”.
“The agreements signed today are tangible evidence of a very simple fact that the ‘Open Balkans’ is an initiative which pushes forward what was discussed in the Berlin Process’, in the chain of summits of that process, and that is never realized “, he said./p.s./
