Skopje, 1 March 2023 (MIA) – In an address at the Skopje Economic Forum on Wednesday, the Prime Minister of Montenegro, Dritan Abazović, encouraged Kosovo and Serbia to reach a solution, noting that it would represent a strong incentive for the entire region.

 “Montenegro is the smallest country in the region, and as such it’s in our interest to maintain good neighborly relations, to promote tolerance, peace and to contribute to finding solutions to the open issues in the region. In this context, I want to encourage both sides – the Prime Minister of Kosovo and the President of Serbia to find a common solution for the relations between the two countries because that solution would be a strong incentive for the entire region. We support the intention of the international community to finally reach an agreement. Of course, we are not the ones to say what should be done, but Montenegro definitely wants to send a message from Skopje that we encourage both sides and the international community to finally reach an agreement and stabilize the relations in the region,” said Abazović.

According to the Montenegrin PM, in the context of regional cooperation in the Western Balkans, there are always various types of misunderstandings, but mainly they are between the politicians who are too focused on the past.

“What we can change is the future, we cannot change the past. If we move the focus from the past and start talking about the future, I think that the region will have great opportunities for success and all Western Balkan countries can be more successful in the Euro-integrations process," said Abazović.

On how to aid the relations in the region, Abazović said he believes that several agreements like the ones reached as part of the Berlin Process are necessary. Abazović said that Podgorica supports the Open Balkan initiative, because the idea is to have greater cooperation, and, he said, with greater and more honest cooperation, there will be no issues.

 “I am also personally a supporter of various initiatives such as Open Balkan, because when they place the focus on economic progress they should be accepted in the region. For reconciliation we need greater mobility of the citizens, I am not talking about changing borders, but making borders more flexible, like in the EU. Now we have an agreement which allows us to cross the borders using our ID cards. The next step is to be able to cross the borders without an ID card. If we want to be a part of the European family, we should also behave in a European manner, and they have a free market. That’s why the Montenegrin Government supports this,” said Abazović.

Abazović assessed that Open Balkan “woke up” the Berlin Process and it represents positive competition.

 “I consider both initiatives to be almost identical. But it’s always good to have competition, because it pushes you to offer a better option,” said Abazović, stressing the advantage of Open Balkan as an initiative that originates from the region itself, and it doesn’t represent a replacement for the Euro-integration, but a tool for a quicker integration.

He also spoke about the importance of joint infrastructure projects to connect the region, because, he said, that is the future.

“We are a tourist country and it is our ambition to make people visit Montenegro,” said the Montenegrin Prime Minister. ad/nn/

Photo: MIA archive