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Southeast Europe
September 1, 2017 www.intellinews.com I Page 14
transformation of movements of goods, services, capital and skilled workers,” a statement from the Albanian government — which hosted the sum- mit — cited Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama as saying at the joint news conference with Hahn.
This will be achieved through cheaper trade movement, a radical transformation of border procedures, as well as the establishment of mechanisms to reduce logistics costs.
“We are very encouraged that there is a full agree- ment on this on the political level,” Rama said.
Hahn noted that the plan is a good sign for all countries in the region and that the establishment of a common economic area in the Western Bal- kans is necessary.
“We are ready to support and cooperate with you to make further progress towards the EU integra- tion,” Hahn said.
“Our interest is to include all these countries, including Albania, as soon as possible in the EU and that is why certain measures are needed, but at the end everything will be in the interest of all citizens,” he added.
The meeting was focused on commitments given at the Trieste summit held in July. In Trieste the Western Balkans countries approved a multi-
annual action plan (MAP) which included forma- tion of a regional economic area and also signed a treaty to integrate their transport networks.
The regional economic area is expected to create a welcoming business environment, stimulate en- trepreneurship, build a knowledge-based society, provide good quality jobs, and ensure competitive markets.
The next steps of the process include mutual rec- ognition of professional qualifications, identifying and scrapping red tape and regulatory barriers that impede the trade and investments, setting up regional dialogue on digital transformation and starting negotiations on a dispute settlement mechanism.
The agreement reached in Trieste fell short of planning a customs union previously supported by some leaders from the region. However, there are still hopes it will revive trade among the Western Balkans countries. At the Trieste summit, Hahn pointed out that while trade between the Western Balkans and the EU more than doubled in the last decade to reach €44bn in 2016, trade within the region has stagnated.
All six Western Balkans countries are at different stages of EU integration. So far only Serbia and Montenegro have launched EU accession negotia- tions.