Skopje, 2 September 2022 (MIA) – The war in Europe is a wake-up call, we can see how vulnerable we are to various shocks – winter is coming, food security and energy are our common challenge and the only way to tackle it is through solidarity, said the Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, at the opening of the Open Balkan Summit in Belgrade on Friday. Çavuşoğlu stated that Turkiye will continue to do its best for smooth implementation of the Istanbul grain deal. “We are doing our best to help our Balkan neighbors. The war reaffirmed the importance of joint investment in renewable sources of energy and integration of the electricity and gas markets,” said Çavuşoğlu. The Turkish Foreign Affairs Minister added that Turkiye sees the Open Balkan Initiative as a bridge between the Balkans and the EU. “In the past enlargement was one of the most successful policies of the EU. But the EU has become inward-looking and narrow political interests have hijacked the enlargement agenda. Nobody can offer a good explanation as to why North Macedonia and Albania have waited for so long. We congratulate both countries on the beginning of accession negotiations. The war in Europe reminded us of the importance of the enlargement process and I hope that their experience will be different from ours. We hope that Open Balkan can accelerate the European integration of the region and we hope that more countries will join the Open Balkan Initiative,” said Çavuşoğlu. He added that the Open Balkan Initiative aims to ensure free access to the labor market, student exchange, joint research projects, and recognition of professional qualifications. “This will ensure that the qualified young people remain in the region and we hope it will help tackle the brain drain that the Balkan region is facing. As one of the biggest investors in the region, we believe it will encourage direct foreign investment as well,” said the Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs. ad/ba/