TIRANA, November 24 – For the first time a strong “slap” comes from the European institutions against the “Open Balkans” initiative. A resolution approved on Wednesday in the European Parliament with 502 votes in favor, 75 against and 62 abstentions openly expressed the rejection of the initiative whose initiators and inspirers are the governments of Tirana, Belgrade and Skopje.
In the 15-page resolution that lapsi.al has in full, the MEPs emphasized that they have “strong reservations for any regional economic cooperation, or initiative that does not include the 6 countries of the Western Balkans and is not based on EU rules such as it happens with the “Open Balkans” initiative.
This is the first time that reservations about the initiative are expressed so openly in a European Union document. The resolution aimed to determine the rules of the new enlargement strategy and was drafted by the Croatian MEP, Tonino Picula who belongs to the Social and Democratic group.
Efforts should be stepped up towards good neighborly, comprehensive and effective relations and socio-economic cooperation at the regional level and solidarity in the EU membership of countries as well as regional cross-border cooperation between EU member states and partner countries along the external borders of the EU economic empowerment, competitiveness and social cohesion in the Western Balkans through structural reforms and establishing regional economic cooperation that is acceptable to all six countries, pursuing further alignment with EU standards and acquis and contributing to the process of EU integration, said the resolution.
According to the document, in this context the European Parliament welcomes the recent agreements in the Berlin Process Summit, especially the conclusion of regional mobility agreements for freedom of travel with IDs and the recognition of academic and professional degrees with certificates.
“We express strong reservations for any regional economic cooperation or initiative that does not include the 6 countries of the Western Balkans and is not based on EU rules, such as the “Open Balkans” initiative,” the resolution said. /argumentum.al
