Page 50 - BNE_magazine_12_2019 dec19

50 I Southeast Europe bne December 2019
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic (left), Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev (centre) and Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama (right) aim to eliminate obstacles to the free movement of people, goods, services and capital in the Western Balkans.
Albania, North Macedonia and Serbia agree to set up common market
Valentina Dimitrievska in Skopje
The leaders of Albania, North Macedonia and Serbia agreed concrete steps on November 9 on the initiative to eliminate obstacles to the free movement of people, goods, services and capital, with the final aim of securing EU membership.
The initiative was agreed following the EU summit in October at which France blocked Tirana and Skopje from starting EU accession talks. Serbia opened EU membership talks in 2014, but has to solve the Kosovo issue as a pre-condition to join the bloc.
Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama,
his peer from North Macedonia Zoran Zaev, the host of the meeting, and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic met in Ohrid, during the two-day forum to discuss the initiative, also dubbed
a “mini Schengen”.
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The common market of the three countries is expected to increase the competitiveness of the entire region, which has 12mn inhabitants.
During the meeting, the three leaders agreed to allow free travel between the countries only using an ID card, and
with only an ID. Albania and Serbia will enable this before the end of the year.
Companies from each of the three countries will be able to bring in skilled labour from any of the three without additional procedures.
“The common market of the three countries is expected to increase the competitiveness of the entire region”
a common work permit that would allow people to work in all three countries.
Citizens of North Macedonia can already travel to Albania and Serbia
The free and fast movement of goods will be encouraged by the introduction of a 24-hour working time for all inspection services with a focus on phytosanitary and veterinary inspection.