The US ambassador to Serbia, Christopher Hill, confirmed that the US administration supports the Open Balkans initiative, as well as other integrative projects in the region.
“The countries of the Balkan region must have models of cooperation, and the Open Balkans project is very positive,” Hill said.
“I like that it was developed here, in the Balkans, and that it was not imposed from the outside. We support it, just like other regional integration projects,” Hill told Radio Television of Serbia.
The ambassador further assessed that, in order to achieve more complete economic integration, the region needs to deal with political challenges of “inherited problems and mistrust”.
“I would say that there is a lot of historical heritage here, more than necessary, and we have to find a way to overcome it,” said Hill.
Open Balkans is a regional initiative that aims to improve the freedom of movement of goods, services and people. It was founded in 2019 by the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, and the prime ministers of Albania and North Macedonia, Edi Rama and Zoran Zaev, respectively. Its initial name was Mini Schengen, but it was later changed to Open Balkans.
So far, bilateral and trilateral agreements have been signed under the auspices of this initiative – Serbia has ratified five, while Albania and North Macedonia have ratified none so far.
Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo and Montenegro oppose joining this initiative.
(Radio Free Europe, 09.02.2023)