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By refusing to join the Open Balkans initiative, Kosovo loses a freer movement of citizens and goods, as well as a larger market for local producers, says Visar Ymeri, executive director of the Institute for Social Policy Musine Kokalari ”, Based in Prishtina.
The “Open Balkans” initiative includes Albania, Serbia and Northern Macedonia.
It was initiated by the leaders of these states in October 2019.
The initiative, originally called “Mini-Schengen”, according to its initiators, provides for the free movement of capital, goods, services and people between the three countries.
Despite calls from the initiators, three Western Balkan countries – Kosovo, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina – continue to oppose joining the initiative.
Officials in Kosovo, in power and in opposition, have argued that such an initiative is “visionless” and “dangerous.”
The President of Kosovo, Vjosa Osmani, said that the “Open Balkans” is not built on the principles of regional cooperation and that the six countries of the Western Balkans are not treated equally.
Ymeri says that Kosovo in the “Open Balkans” initiative would be placed as an independent state, as well as other participating states, and that it would become an equal part of the agreements that implement them.
“Compared to the countries of the region, Kosovo has the greatest difficulties in terms of free movement of people and goods. In this regard, I consider that Kosovo’s regional initiatives are most convenient “, says Ymeri for Radio Free Europe.
Kosovo is the only country in the Balkans that does not have free movement in the European Union.
Its citizens can not move freely even in Serbia and Bosnia – two countries that do not recognize the independence of the state, declared in February 2008.
Ymeri says that Kosovo’s entry into the “Open Balkans” would mean market expansion for it.
“The wider the market, the more attractive it would be for investors,” he said.
Open Balkans Agreements
In the framework of the “Open Balkans” initiative, Albania, Serbia and Northern Macedonia have reached a series of agreements, which are said to be aimed at improving regional cooperation.
The agreements include, among other things, the movement of their citizens with ID cards, co-operation in facilitating the import and export of goods, as well as a memorandum of understanding and co-operation for free access to the labor market.
The leaders of the three countries have planned to gradually create a common market for 12 million people – as many as the three countries have together.
From January 1, 2023, meanwhile, it has been agreed that border controls between Serbia, Northern Macedonia and Albania will be lifted.
Representatives of the three countries are expected to sign several new agreements this week as well.
They are meeting on June 6th and 7th in Ohrid, northern Macedonia. For the first time, representatives of Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, but not Kosovo, are participating as observers.
Why is Kosovo against?
The Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, has informed the Prime Minister of Northern Macedonia, Dimitar Kovacevski, that he refuses to participate in Ohrid, because, as he said, Kosovo remains engaged in the Berlin Process.
This process is an initiative launched in 2014 by the then German Chancellor Angela Merkel, with the aim of promoting regional cooperation in the Western Balkans and European integration.
In an earlier statement, Kurti said the “Open Balkans” initiative was more like an “Open Balkans for Eastern influences” than an initiative for a common regional market.
In a letter to Kovacevski, Kurti called on his Macedonian counterpart to “work together to prevent Serbia from promoting its Russian and Chinese interests in our region, while repeatedly denying Kosovo’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity and blocking equal opportunities.” for the citizens of Kosovo ”.
Commenting on this statement, the expert on political issues in Northern Macedonia, Xhelal Neziri, told Radio Free Europe that “an initiative consisting of NATO member states, such as Albania and Northern Macedonia, in which “Other countries like Montenegro are expected to join, it can not be a project that will enable Russia to extend its influence in the region.”
Gërxhaliu: There is no alternative to regional cooperation
Kosovo economics professor Safet Gërxhaliu says regional co-operation in the Western Balkans has no alternative.
According to him, the “Open Balkans” must include all six countries of the Western Balkans, to be functional.
As a whole, says Gërxhaliu, the “Open Balkans” would be a good opportunity for the economic development of the region, the common regional market, foreign investments, increased trade exchange between member countries, tourism, education and many other opportunities. ”.
Gërxhaliu adds that in order for regional initiatives to work, Kosovo and Serbia must reach an agreement on the normalization of relations as soon as possible, which would include mutual recognition.
Even the executive director of the American Chamber of Commerce, Arian Zeka, says that Kosovo would benefit from inclusion in the “Open Balkans”.
Speaking to Radio Free Europe, he cites the example of the “Open Balkans” agreement on free access to the labor market.
“The leaders of the states, which are part of such an initiative, have talked about the benefits of exchanging people, that is, from one state to another within certain seasons… Within a year, maybe a state has ample manpower, unnecessary for the internal market, which can be moved to another Balkan country “, says Zeka.
Will Montenegro be included in the “Open Balkans”?
Justifying their non-participation in the “Open Balkans”, the political representatives of Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina have said so far that they are not part of initiatives that can be seen as an alternative to their path to European Union integration. .
However, Montenegro’s new prime minister, Dritan Abazovic, elected in April, has signaled that his country could join the initiative.
At a summit held in late May in Montenegro, Abazavic and Kosovo President Osmani reciprocated with each other, precisely because of this initiative.
Abazovic said that part of Montenegrin society opposes the “Open Balkans” only because of Serbia’s role in it.
“They do not have a problem with the initiative, but they have a personal problem,” said Abazovic.
Osmani reacted to his comments, saying that Kosovo is committed to regional cooperation, but Kosovo’s disagreement with the “Open Balkans” initiative must be respected.
The Prime Minister of Albania, Edi Rama, has also criticized Kosovo for not participating in this initiative, saying that it “deals with conspiracy theories, instead of implementing cooperation”.
The United States, through its envoy to the Western Balkans, Gabriel Escobar, has expressed confidence that if the “Open Balkans” does not include all six countries in the region, the initiative will not work.
At an initiative conference held in Belgrade last November, Escobar said regional initiatives should be equally open to all countries.
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