Skopje, 16 July 2023 (MIA) - Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic said Sunday the Open Balkan initiative is open for everyone in the region, especially for good projects that would involve countries that are not part of the area, such as Croatia and Greece, thus bringing Europe's transit traffic to the Balkans.

"As things stand, Croatia will join this project in August or September, with Greece also aspiring to join, since we are competing with other countries to bring transit routes in the Balkans. This contributes to the national GDP, leading to economic growth, higher wages and pensions. As a result of this project, we are working together to draw transit traffic from the whole of Europe through the Balkans," PM Brnabic told reporters.

On the Open Balkan ID project, she said it is expected to start in August or September, ensuring citizens a lane for free travel, without passports, IDs, and waiting at borders.

"I expect that everyone in the Western Balkans will gradually join Open Balkan, and we need these type of projects to demonstrate concrete benefits for the economies and the citizens," noted the Serbian PM.

She added that talks on a capital project for a fast railway link along Corridor X, starting from Belgrade, via Nis, Presevo, Skopje and leading to Greece, were completed this June.

"This is an EU-funded project and part of the Western Balkans Investment Framework grant, a capital project that would significantly boost linkages between our countries," said Brnabic.

She does not expect construction to begin before 2025 but highlighted the perspective of having a fast rail from Skopje to Budapest and further on to Central and Western Europe in the near future.

"This is a testimony of a different Balkans," underlined Brnabic.