Skopje, 28 July 2023 (MIA) - Minister of Foreign Affairs Bujar Osmani alongside his Italian, Bulgarian and Albanian counterparts, Antonio Tajani, Mariya Gabriel and Olta Xhaçka presented the quadripartite initiative for the joint connection and economic development of the regions along Corridor VIII.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, this political platform will contribute to the overall cooperation and strengthening of the region's security, and will especially affect the EU perspective for the entire Western Balkans region. The meeting, which took place on Thursday in Brindisi, Italy, resulted in adopting six conclusions related to the direction in which Initiative 8 should be developed.

They agreed that completion of Corridor VIII, in both the rail and motorway connections, would contribute significantly to the economic growth of the region and to the integration of the Western Balkans in the EU single market.

“The completion of Corridor VIII will be a very important aspect for North Macedonia’s EU integration. This platform for cooperation between our countries should also be used to speed up our country’s and Albania's EU accession processes. In addition, I expect that the integration will give tangible results, above all for the benefit of the citizens,” Osmani told the joint press conference.

Recognizing EU membership as catalyst for overcoming bilateral or regional issues and fostering reconciliation, the Ministers reiterated their firm support for the European integration of the Western Balkans based on own merits.

They agreed that the swift implementation of Corridor VIII can contribute to the stability of the region and mitigate malign third-party influence, hybrid threats, disinformation and irregular migration. The Ministers also discussed the importance of promoting a strategic vision to comprehensively address the issue of migration.

The Ministers agreed to spare no efforts in support of the swift implementation of Corridor VIII and to promote the opportunities that the infrastructure can disclose for the private sector and civil society. In this respect, the Ministers exchanged views on mobilizing additional financial support for Corridor VIII, and on ways to promote stakeholder engagement, including local communities.

The Ministers agreed to consolidate this format as a political platform for dialogue and cooperation and decided to hold a second meeting in the near future, as well as a business forum.

Osmani initiated the Initiative 8 at the beginning of 2021, as an idea for a new, multidisciplinary platform between North Macedonia, Bulgaria and Albania, through which mutual cooperation would intensify and deepen, as a strategic interest for the countries that make up the initiative, said the Ministry.

Photo: Ministry of Foreign Affairs