Albanian Premier Edi Rama spoke in Belgrade about the benefits of the Open Balkans initiative for Albanian citizens, companies, and economy. Speaking to media reporters in the joint press conference with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, and North Macedonia Deputy Prime Minister Nikola Dimitrov, Rama said that as of January 1, 2022, Albania will ease procedures of movement for Serbian people and goods.

“The focus was on the people, companies, farmers, workers, students, which are the actual benefiters of the Open Balkans and each of them in their own way suffers waiting in the borders, the burden of bureaucracy, controls, inspection”, Rama said.

“I’m glad we focused on the core. The core of this initiative is to expand our economies, markets, which are small, but if they get integrated they can transform into an important market for foreign investments”.

“We have exporters of fruits and vegetables, dairy, from Serbia, North Macedonia, which cannot wait for days at the border crossing. It’s impossible to reach at the border on Friday evening and wait for Monday to pass the dairy products. The same applies to taking products from Konispol (the most southern point of Albania) to Serbia, from the fields to the market, passing through the customs”, said Rama.