Steinmeier in Albania: I'm glad the German-French proposal is now successful and accepted.

He made these comments in Tirana, where he stayed on Thursday for official visits.

In his speech to Albania's Parliament deputies, Steinmeier said it is important to launch regional co-operation, and that the agreements that were signed in Berlin on November 3rd also serve.

These agreements should be implemented from a concrete point of view in the six Western Balkan countries, allowing the free movement of people and goods to be recognised by diplomas and other qualifications. This brings about improved economic situation in this region and closer to the EU”, he said.

Leaders of the Western Balkans with agreements on recognition of IDs and diplomas.

ID agreements, diplomas and jobs pending after signing

Agreements on mutual recognition of identification, university diplomas and professional qualifications were signed by the leaders of the six Western Balkan countries on 3 November at the Berlin Process framework summit. Serbia, Montenegro, Northern Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania and Kosovo agreed in advance on the agreements in October, after weeks of negotiations led by Germany.

Following messages conveyed by the German president, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama was asked by journalists about the continuation of the other regional initiative, known as the Open Balkans.

He said his position on this initiative does not change, and that “at that have opposed it has reason to change their” position.

Rama said he cited three reasons why it is for this initiative.

“S first the Open Balkans have the approval of 60 per cent of Albanians; second is in line with the EU spirit; and thirdly in the re-sent Berlin Process we signed the same agreements we signed earlier in the Open Balkans”, he said.

The Open Balkans Initiative is the continuation of the Balkan Mini-Shengen and was launched in Novi Sad of Serbia on October 10th 2019 by leaders of Serbia, Northern Macedonia and Albania. Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro are not part of it.

While the Berlin process was introduced in 2014 with the initiative of former German cancellara, Angela Merkel, with the goal of connecting and integrating Western Balkan countries before joining the EU.

Germany's president called on political parties in Albania to sidetrack political clashes and fight corruption.

Similarly, Steinmeier met with his Albanian counterpart, Bajram Begaj.

On November 29th, Frank-Walter Steinmeier stayed for an official visit to Skopje, where he said the Western Balkan region remains on the European agenda, as well as expectations for normalisation of reports between Kosovo and Serbia.

He said that the rapid normalisation of these reports is in the EU's interest.

“... Proposals have been made. I'm glad the German-French proposal is now successful and accepted. This could encourage the parties to continue co-operating in this field”, the German president said.

The proposal he cited publicly known as the Franco-German plan reportedly envisions several steps that would lead to the resolution of problems between Pristina and Belgrade. Lately, the European Union has started to refer to it as the “proposal of Brussels”.

His existence has been confirmed by both Kosovo leaders and those of Serbia.

In Kosovo it is seen as a good <x0 base> for further discussions under the dialogue for normalising relations with Serbia, which is mediated by the EU. In Serbia, however, they have said this plan is not in its favour.

Earlier, Serbian President Aleksandar Vuciq has declared that the plan envisions Serbia not to prevent Kosovo from membership in international organisations, including the United Nations, in exchange for accelerating its EU membership.

Kosovo and Serbia have launched negotiations on normalising relations in 2011, with the European Union's mediation.

The negotiations process is expected to end with legally binding agreement.

Although Kosovo claims that this agreement should include mutual recognition, Serbia refuses, insisting on <x0 compromise resolution”. / REL