29 July 2021 Skopje – North Macedonia’s Prime Minister Zoran Zaev, Albania’s Prime Minister Edi Rama and Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vučić told Thursday’s joint press conference after the Economic Forum for Regional Cooperation in Skopje that the goal of the ‘Open Balkan’ initiative is to create a single economy, with no customs duties, zero border wait time and a hundred percent free trade. Skopje – Today, here in Skopje, we opened new perspectives for our countries, for our people, economies and societies. The Macedonian, Albanian and Serbian people have the same path ahead of them, the same vision and the same values – the European values. We are all together on the same road, forward, connected, Prime Minister Zoran Zaev told a joint press conference after the end of the Economic Forum for Regional Cooperation on Thursday. Skopje — The so-called Mini Schengen [officially renamed Open Balkans] initiative is a victory for the future; it will change things in the Balkans and confirm we are able to decide for ourselves while improving our citizens’ lives, said Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić in his address to the Economic Forum on Regional Cooperation in Skopje on Thursday. Skopje – Our goal is zero border wait time, regional businesspeople told the political leaders, North Macedonia’s Zoran Zaev, Albania’s Edi Rama and Serbia’s Aleksandar Vučić, on Thursday in Skopje. Skopje – The region can’t continue to be a hostage of the past, because divided we’re small. Through this initiative, we want to focus on the future. What we’ll do in the EU tomorrow, we start doing here, in the region, today, Albania’s Prime Minister Edi Rama said on Thursday at the opening of the Economic Forum on Regional Cooperation in Skopje. Skopje – Prime Minister Zoran Zaev said Thursday that talks with Bulgaria aimed at finding solution to open issues and lift the EU integration veto will resume as soon as Bulgaria forms a government after the July 11 early elections. Skopje – North Macedonia’s Parliament adopted Thursday a resolution establishing national positions in the context of blockades in the EU integration process, which was filed by the opposition party VMRO-DPMNE. 96 MPs voted for the document with 95 voting in favor and one in abstention. Skopje – North Macedonia’s Parliament on Thursday passed amendments to the citizenship law with 57 MPs voting in favor, 32 against and one in abstention. The amendment regulates the status of people from former Yugoslav republics who had been living in the country until the day independence was declared in 1991. They should be issued citizenship in a period of three years after the law enters into force. Skopje – Every regional initiative is welcome, but this must not be an alternative to full-fledged membership of the country in the European Union, VMRO-DPMNE leader Hristijan Mickoski told a press conference on Thursday. Skopje — Of the 3,764 people tested for the coronavirus over the past 24 hours, 54 received a positive result, the Ministry of Health said in a press release Thursday. In the past 24 hours, 12 people recovered from the virus: 7 in Skopje, 3 in Tetovo, one in Kochani and one in Gostivar. Skopje – Vaccination against COVID-19 is taking place uninterrupted across North Macedonia. Field vaccination is also underway. A total of 506,003 citizens have been vaccinated so far, the Ministry of Health said in a press release on Thursday. Skopje — I keep highlighting that geographical distance shouldn’t be an obstacle to closer political and economic collaboration, said Parliament Speaker Talat Xhaferi at the meeting with newly appointed Ambassador of Japan to North Macedonia, Hironori Sawada. Skopje – UNESCO has added the Dlaboka Reka Beech Forest within Mavrovo National Park to its list of World Heritage Sites, the Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning said in a press release on Thursday. Rome — At the meeting of culture ministers of the 20 most important industrialized and emerging countries (G20), German Minister of State Michelle Muentefering called for a guarantee for the freedom of the arts. Baghdad – An Iraqi army helicopter on Thursday crashed, killing all five pilots on board, the military said.