Skopje, 29 July 2021 (MIA) – Today marks the beginning of a new era of cooperation in the region. We’re connecting to help our economies prosper. We’re demonstrating political leadership on our own as well as care to advance cooperation. I’m confident it will be recognized by Brussels and Washington, too, Prime Minister Zoran Zaev said Thursday opening the Economic Forum for Regional Cooperation taking place in Skopje. Addressing the panel titled “Connected Balkans”, with Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić and Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama as well as officials of regional chambers of commerce, the business community and more than 300 companies in attendance, Zaev said the strong turnout at the invitation of North Macedonia’s government sends a strong message that the Balkans has started creating an understanding at the highest level of economic connectivity and the establishment of dynamic and vital regional economic space as being mutual desire and ambition. “It is an authentic, joint process of North Macedonia, Albania and Serbia and the initiative is open for all Western Balkan countries,” he stressed. Political leaders, Zaev added, have heard the demands of businesspeople, which is less history and more business. “The political will of President Vučić and PM Rama, which is also mine, is an expression of our utmost determination to provide all the conditions that depend on the governments of the three countries for efficient regional cooperation. The strong political will and support we’ve been getting from our business communities in the region to rebrand regional cooperation and inject it will more dynamic and more effects is our authentic and unmediated initiative,” PM Zaev told the Forum. Additionally, he noted, such regional cooperation can play a serious role in relaxing political relations in the region. “We’re open to all initiatives promoting strengthening of regional cooperation and accelerating the EU integration process of all Western Balkan countries.” Referring to EU accession, Zaev said that the bloc’s failure to deliver on the promise of opening the first intergovernmental conference with Albania and North Macedonia goes against the European ideas and against the interests of the EU itself. “It is also against the commitment of these two countries that met the criteria to join the EU. But, we cannot wait for the EU to solve its internal issues in order to move forward. Whenever the EU is ready, we’re here, we’re prepared having already introduced facilitations for our citizens and developed economic initiatives. We are about to talk about them here, and I hope the EU will find a way to provide funding for them especially because most of them are part of the green agenda,” said Zaev. Delivering his keynote speech, he stressed that he wouldn’t be taking about the EU at the event. “I’m here to talk about our citizens, our countries, our ideas, and our European Balkans, the region and the initiative, which will be renamed today in order to reflect the essence of new reality.” PM Zaev reiterated the pledges for the so called four freedoms – freedom of movement of people, movement of goods, movement of capital and movement of services. “Our goal for integrated regional market brings additional GDP growth in the region because we’re stronger together. It makes the Western Balkans more attractive, more competitive and closer to the EU markets,” stated North Macedonia’s PM. Delivering addresses after PM Zaev, Serbia’s Vučić and Albania’s Rama also sent messages of unity of the economies in the region, of facilitating flow of goods, of removing barriers and of establishing a joint market. An economic panel is also taking place, which is being addressed by Branko Azeski, President of the Economic Chamber of North Macedonia, Marko Čadež, President of the Serbian, Chamber of Commerce, and Ines Mucostepa, President of Albania’s Union of Chambers of Trade and Industry. The new name of the regional initiative informally known as “Mini Schengen” will be unveiled, along with the signing of trilateral agreements aimed at improving people’s lives and operations of the business community in the Western Balkans. Two memorandums of understanding and one inter-state agreement are to be signed after the economic panel. The agreement on cooperation for protection and rescue from disasters in the Western Balkans and the memorandum of understanding facilitating import, export and movement of goods in the Western Balkans are the result of the initiative on advanced regional economic cooperation between North Macedonia, Serbia and Albania. The third memorandum is considered vital for movement of the workforce in the region. The signatories will express their willingness to facilitate movement of people in order to secure easier access to the labor market, to cancel work permits, and simplify processes regarding issuance of temporary stay permits. This document reaffirms the pledge to apply the EU’s right to free movement of workers and to accelerate the process of integration into the EU’s single market. The three leaders will hold a press conference after the event, presenting the forum benefits and plans for future initiatives. https://youtu.be/xPY4WbSOhvA