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The six countries of the Western Balkans agree on free movement between them and the recognition of diplomas

2022-10-21 19:16:19Aktualitet SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX
The six countries of the Western Balkans agree on free movement between them and
The Western Balkans reach the bargain in the Berlin Process

Ministers of six Western Balkan countries agree on visa-free travel between them and mutual recognition of university degrees and professional qualifications, taking a step towards membership in the European Union.

This was announced by the German Minister of Foreign Affairs, Annalina Berbok Baerbock, during the meeting of the foreign ministers of the countries involved in the Berlin Process, who emphasized that these are historic steps that change people's lives.

"This means that students from Albania can use their diploma to continue their studies in North Macedonia and that an architect from Serbia can go and work in Montenegro. After all, this is what the European internal market is all about," said Ms Baerbock.

In the meeting, it was said that the greatest benefit from this agreement will be the citizens from Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina, who cannot travel without visas.

The final document is expected to be signed on November 3 in Berlin, where the meeting of the leaders of the Western Balkans and the ten other participating countries of the Berlin Process, as well as representatives of the Council and the European Commission, is expected to be held.

"By signing the agreements at the next meeting in November, you are taking an important step forward in the process of joining the European Union. You are making the lives of your citizens easier and helping your companies drive trade and economic growth across the region,” she said.

The leaders of Kosovo have emphasized that the Berlin process is a comprehensive initiative where all countries are equal and have opposed any initiative that, according to them, could appear as an alternative to this process, including the Open Balkans initiative that was launched by Albania, Serbia and North Macedonia.

The United States supports the initiative for the Open Balkans and has called on Kosovo to become part of it, but the envoy for the Western Balkans Gabriel Escobar has emphasized that it is an economic initiative that can only succeed if it includes all six the states of the Western Balkans as equal.

The Foreign Minister of Kosovo, Donika Gërvalla, said on Friday in Berlin that "from the Berlin Process, we definitely expect a deeper cooperation in our region. We also expect the Berlin Process to gain momentum and would like to express our gratitude to the German government for restarting the process. The integration of the region in the EU and European-Atlantic integration is very important", she said.

The Berlin process, which was revived by German chancellor Olaf Scholz, was launched in 2014 by former German chancellor Angela Merkel with the aim of deepening coordination between the countries of the Western Balkans as well as supporting the accession process of this region to the European Union.

The patience of some Western Balkan countries awaiting membership is wearing thin, and critics of the bloc's slow pace of expansion say it leaves room for Russia and China to expand their influence in the region.

The German foreign minister said it is her government's priority to include the countries of the Western Balkans in the bloc to ensure stability and economic progress, while she called for the acceleration of reforms in the countries of the region.

Minister Baerbock expressed her wish for the normalization of the "unresolved situation" between Kosovo and Serbia, which she said is "a constant cause of tensions".

The head of German diplomacy called on Serbia "to increase harmonization with the common and security policy of the EU. This concerns the sanctions against Russia in particular; and we expect concrete steps by Serbia to harmonize its visa policy. People smuggling threatens people's lives and safety, and taking action against it is a goal that unites us all," she said.


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