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TIRANA, June 23 – The “Open Balkans” is the first real regional mechanism of cooperation in the Western Balkans, Albanian government head Edi Rama has stated.
In the joint press conference with the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, and the Prime Minister of North Macedonia, Dimitar Kovacevski, after the EU-Western Balkans summit in Brussels on Thursday, Rama said the “Open Balkans” is producing results for people, farmers, and traders.
Albania and North Macedonia failed to get the green light to launch the accession talks with the EU on Thursday.
“The ‘Open Balkans’ is producing results in all areas. Somewhere they are more visible, somewhere less, but it is producing results. Since the Balkans is not the place of Jesus Christ, but of St. Thomas, we do not believe if we do not put our hand on the wound; go to the border and see the difference yourself! If you cross the borders of the ‘Open Balkans’ there is a green corridor and there is no second waiting for trucks, goods, agricultural products, milk. Meanwhile, if we take the milk to countries that are not in the ‘Open Balkans’, when they arrive, it becomes yoghurt. This is the change,” Rama said.
The Prime Minister said that he does not understand what the reason is for making so much noise about it.
“It is an open table for everyone, for all 6 countries. Alexandar called ‘so-called’ Kosovo, but I call it Kosovo, and period. But that does not stop us from working together. Imagine if we were to fight, to fight with each other about what the Balkans would be like today,” Rama said.
Rama added that he felt privileged to work for Albania through this mechanism and to promote this cooperation that will bring peace.
Opposition and civic associations in Albania criticize Rama for the initiative saying he has turned Tirana into a small Belgrade. Kosovo, too, keeps rejecting its inclusion in the Open Balkans fearing Serbia’s hegemony.
/Argumentum.al
