The government in Tirana has approved an agreement reached between the Council of Ministers of Albania, Macedonia and Serbia on mutual recognition of authorized security and defense economic operators, under an agreement within the Open Balkans Initiative, the Pristina daily Koha Ditore reported. .
The government's decision came on the eve of a visit by Serbian President Alexander Vucic and Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev to Tirana on December 20th and 21st.
Albania, Macedonia and Serbia have agreed to abolish border controls between them on January 1st, 2023, and plans to gradually create a common market for the 12 million inhabitants of the three countries.
The previous meeting between the leaders of the three countries in the framework of the Open Balkans initiative took place in early November in Belgrade. A memorandum of understanding between the parties on work permits is expected to be signed in Tirana next year. Thus, the permits issued by one of these countries will be valid for all members of the initiative.
The "Open Balkans", initiated by Albania, Serbia and Macedonia, are opposed in Kosovo, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina as "a continuation of Serbian hegemony in the region", the editorial said.
Regarding objections to Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti's initiative, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama has repeatedly said that the Open Balkans could help resolve the problems between Belgrade and Pristina. According to him, "problems can be solved only if everyone is together."
The European Union has supported the initiative only as part of the Berlin Process, not outside it.
Rama stressed that the "Open Balkans" are compatible with the Berlin Process, an initiative launched by former German Chancellor Angela Merkel to join the Western Balkans in joining the EU.
The United States, meanwhile, has said that if all six Western Balkan countries are not included in the initiative, it will fail.
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