North Macedonia, Serbia and Albania signed a series of agreements on Friday to boost relations, as they attended the Open Balkan Initiative Summit in Belgrade.
The cooperation protocols were in the fields of higher education, tourism, culture, trade and taxation.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said the Open Balkans Initiative brought hope to the region and the time has come to cooperate. "We have shown that we can be not only equal, but also be more successful than others in Europe and the world. I am proud of our friendship and cooperation," he added.
While Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama announced the establishment of a joint agency for foreign investment, Prime Minister of North Macedonia Dimitar Kovacevski emphasized on the importance of acting together.
Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu also attended the summit and spoke at the event highlighting Türkiye's support for the initiative.
Çavuşoğlu stated that the Balkans have been under different influences throughout history due to its geographical location. “We have always continued to underline the importance of the Balkans' own policies. In fact, now is the time to take our future into our own hands. The Open Balkan Initiative promises free entry into the commercial sector,” he said.
Stating that the Open Balkan Initiative will bring with it extremely important developments in the region, Çavuşoğlu said, “I also think that all of these will bring a solution to the problems faced by the Balkan geography. As one of the important investors in the region, we think that this will also increase foreign direct investment.”
Çavuşoğlu stated that President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan will visit Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia and Kosovo next week.
The Western Balkans comprise Serbia, Albania, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Kosovo, all of which aspire to join the EU. The initiative was formalized in 2019 and aims at boosting trade and student exchange opportunities for 12 million people, as well as encouraging the Western Balkan countries' integration into the EU.
