Kumanovo, 29 March 2022 (MIA) – The Open Balkan initiative has significantly accelerated the flow of goods. At the Tabanovce-Preshevo border crossing, trucks undergo customs and police controls in less than four minutes, and the whole process of checks, together with veterinary and phytosanitary inspections, does not take more than half an hour, said Zoran Jovanovski from the Economic Chamber of North Macedonia and the President of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce Marko Čadež after a working meeting at the North Macedonia - Serbia border.

Open Balkan initiative aims at free flow, said Jovanovski and Čadež, and at both crossings, Tabanovce - Presevo and Kjafasan - Kjaftane, which will also be visited on Tuesday, special boards and lines will be placed for trucks from the member countries of the initiative – North Macedonia, Serbia and Albania.

“The advantage of Open Balkan is not that the trucks will not wait long or at all, but the cooperation between the three countries in terms of food supply and its security, the supply of basic foodstuffs... These are big things - not to think about whether we have oil, flour, sugar or grain because each of us has something. If we have agreed to help each other, then let’s do that. Regarding food prices and markets, left without a bulk of the quantities coming from Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, when it comes to the Open Balkan initiative, the results are visible - the citizens of our countries do not have to think about things many countries have to think about," Čadež said.

According to Jovanovski, the exceptional constructiveness of all those who are part of the Open Balkan Initiative encourages the desire to cooperate and find concrete, tangible solutions.

“The focus of Open Balkans to deliver concrete results, is what separates this initiative from some previous ones we have had. Identifying and solving problems - that is the focus now, and all parties involved are constructive," Jovanovski said.

When asked how the three countries can help each other in these times of crisis, Jovanovski responded: "Through everything that facilitates the conditions for doing business."

“In times of crisis like the current one, we can make things easier on ourselves by reducing costs for the business sector, by enabling greater flow of goods and crossing borders. This saves time, and time is money. That way the products will be sold cheaper, and more competition will be achieved. So, everything that facilitates the conditions for doing business," said Jovanovski.

The economic teams of the Serbian and Macedonian chambers of commerce, led by Čadež and Jovanovski, discussed how they can help to further reduce the already shortened waiting time in Tabanovce.

“We talked about how we can still help - to bring containers when it comes to phytosanitary and veterinary service, to see how to expand the flow, the exchange of information because there is a slowdown in the system when the frequency is high. It is in the interest of both countries because it saves money," Čadež said.

According to data of the chambers, Tabanovce - Preshevo is the fastest border crossing in terms of the flow of goods compared to the rest out of the three countries. About 600 trucks pass here daily, and last year the total number was 22,000 trucks.

“When a truck arrives, it does not stay longer than four minutes. Together with the veterinary inspections the process is completed in less than half an hour. That is great progress,” stressed the president of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce. dk/ba/