Rama: "Little Schengen" to include all the countries of the Western Balkans, the presence of Kosovo is also necessary

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama said today in Ohrid that there is nothing new in the initiative known as "Little Schengen" other than enabling the free movement of people, goods, services and capital in the entire Western Balkans and that it should include all the countries of the Western Balkans.

At a joint conference with the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, the Prime Minister of North Macedonia, Zoran Zaev, the President of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Denis Zvizdić, and the Minister of Economy of Montenegro, Dragica Sekulić, Rama said that at the next meeting of the initiative in Durrës, he also wants to see representatives of Kosovo.

"Today we had a coordination meeting ahead of the new meeting, on December 21 in Durres, where the future head of European diplomacy, Jozep Borel, will also be present. I want to see Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina in Durres, who will ask to join this whole process. At the meeting in Everyone will be invited to Durrës, because I believe that the presence of Kosovo at the same table is also necessary," said Rama.

He stated that in previous years, Kosovo participated in the cooperation of the countries of the Western Balkans within the framework of the Berlin process, although Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina did not recognize it, and assessed that Pristina is wrong to refuse to be part of the initiative of Serbia, North Macedonia and Albania to establish a "small Schengen". .

Rama said that Albania's participation in the initiative with Serbia and North Macedonia does not mean that Tirana has changed its attitude towards Serbia regarding the recognition of Kosovo.

"Serbia should recognize Kosovo, but the unresolved issue is not a justification for Kosovo not participating (in this initiative)," said the Albanian Prime Minister.

He said that the opening of the borders between the countries of the Western Balkans is not "Little Schengen" and that such a definition does not suit him, and added that due to barriers that prevent free movement, the region is losing billions of euros.

"The region is losing that money because of the barricades, which I think should finally be removed. Why should agricultural products spoil on our border with North Macedonia, Serbia, BiH, and unfortunately they also spoil on the border with Kosovo," said Rama.

He added that regional cooperation is important, that he has been fighting for it since the beginning and that he will continue to fight, convinced that when people live better, they will have more potential to overcome inherited conflicts from the past.

"I see that some on Facebook are saying that what we agree on today is not good, but those people are wrong. It is good to be together, at the same table, not to accept things that bother us. The quality of life does not depend on how much we agree, but from how we agree. One of the ways is to never be in processes that drag us back, but to have a process in which everyone is a winner," said Rama.