Toshkovski - Koçiu: One Stop Shop system to be operational ahead of summer season
Skopje, 28 January 2026 (MIA) - We will implement the One Stop Shop system with the Republic of Albania ahead of the summer season and teams from both countries are working on its realization, Minister of Interior Panche Toshkovski told a joint press conference with Albanian counterpart Albana Koçiu, who is paying an official visit to North Macedonia on Wednesday.
Minister Toshkovski also highlighted the improvements set to be made to the Crossborder Cooperation Centre at the Macedonian-Albanian border, aimed at increasing its capacities and jurisdiction, thus ensuring more efficient and faster coordination between the countries' services.
"These improvements will increase the excellent level of cooperation between the two countries," noted Toshkovski.
Toshkovski and Koçiu also referred to the option of turning the Xhepishte -Trebishte border crossing into a 24/7 point, thus improving communication and access to services for citizens on both sides of the border.
Minister Koçiu said the meeting was a continuation of the prior cooperation between the two countries, "which share more things in common than what brings them apart."
"Both countries are EU candidates and will be Union members, where people and commodities move border-free," said Koçiu.
She added that facilitation of citizens' movement and freight transport is of enormous significance, while practical measures such as modernization of border procedures have a direct impact on people's lives and contribute to economic cooperation.
"We discussed a sooner launch of the One Stop Shop model at the crossings, unifying border controls," noted Koçiu.
According to her, countries' border crossings saw about five million people and 1.5 million vehicles cross in 2025, which demonstrates the need for more efficient systems and joint border points.
"I think that Albania has unused potential on the Albanian coast and Lake Ohrid that Macedonian citizens can tap into. The same goes for Macedonia, which has many places that our citizens could visit," said Koçiu.
Photo: MIA
