Rama returns to Kurt: Whoever thinks Mini-Shengen is cooked in the basements of the former Yugoslavia lives in parallel world

Albania's Prime Minister Edi Rama has said that anyone who thinks Mini-Shengen is cooked in the basements of the former Yugoslavia lives in a parallel world. Rama made these comments by the Regional Forum for Economic Co-operation, which is being held in Skopje, saying the initiative of Serbia, Albania and Northern Macedonia is open to all countries in the region that want to join.

“Who says this is an initiative designed in the basements of the former Yugoslavia to re-composit Yugoslavia and to give Serbia a hegemony because it's bigger and will come to take away all of what we have, the first living in a parallel second world, living for politics in the skin of people, and not for the growth of prosperity and strengthening of bridges among people and the third forget that if we do so, the EU is a big Yugoslavia, if the EU is a big Yugoslavia then this is a small Yugoslavia. But not this is a space that lives with EU mechanisms, while each of the countries makes efforts to integrate into the EU”, Rama said.

The prime minister of Kosovo had earlier declared that “mini- Schengeni” could be Serbia's vision of a new Yugoslavia.

I have to be honest that the Balkan Minisengen is not reality, more is the idea than the project. To co-operate the six countries in the region, we have the Berlin Process framework. In that sense there is nothing new. The Balkan Minister has its own risks, I have said it represents the fourth Yugoslavia, which Serbia loves, that is Belgrade's initiative”, Kurti expressed.

Rama also said the region cannot remain hostage to the past.

And I believe that it's enough to view this mosaic to understand the value and importance of this initiative. Here are those who create jobs, incomes and want to move on, and it is very clear that this initiative is the right thing and not only is the right thing but unlike what some preach is also delayed. This region cannot continue to remain hostage to the past in any respect, and who does not yet understand how small we are to increase our economies to open perspective is doomed to live in the past”, he said.

He said the initiative of the three states is nothing new but similar to the 4 basic EU freedoms.

“We want to design for the future through a initiative that doesn't invent anything new, but simply brings to this region a significant example that is the European Union, living up to four fundamental freedoms of the EU, the movement of people, goods, capitals and services. As we integrate into the EU, we will do exactly what we are doing today, without the European Union. So tomorrow as part of the EU, there will be no discussion whether these 4 freedoms will be implemented in our region”, the Albanian prime minister said.

He said further that the integration of the region will now be done before entering the European Union.

We don't have why we expect the integration of the region to do it after we enter the EU, we will now. Whenever we have to repeat that this is not an initiative of three states, this initiative that is open to everyone, who wants to join us is welcome. We don't have the luxury of wasting time because we've lost centuries”, Rama said.