Edi Rama says open Balkans have not died out

Speaking at a year-long conference in Tirana, Rama said that “sot is finding out that I have closed the open Balkans because it doesn't work for me to have made any closures, even I have explained that the Open Balkans do not open and shut down with a key from one person or one side of”.

He was asked by reporters for his statement in July, when he said that the Open Balkans was an initiative for the “postponed ahead of the Berlin Process and that he had carried out that mission for which” was born.

Responding to the question, Rama said: “I've never said that I've closed the open Balkans that it's like ridiculous expressions. I've said something quite different that was said in a certain context and I expressly said that he carried out his mission in that context, but that the initiative itself is an initiative that is like other initiatives and that doesn't open up and does not close by me. ”

The Open Balkans Initiative, which was originally called Mini Schengen, was undertaken on 10 October 2019 in Novi Sad, and was signed by Serbia's President Aleksandar Vuciq, Albania's Prime Minister Edi Rama and then Northern Macedonia Prime Minister Zoran Zaev.

The initiative has been rejected by the opposition in Albania and rejected by Kosovo, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Under it some agreements have been reached, both for economic co-operation and free movement.

Regarding Rama's warning of its extinction, Serbia's President Aleksandar Vuciq had then said that “cannot believe he [Rama] has said such a thing”.

Rama confirmed that the regional initiative continues and concretely brought to the attention, the wine fair, which was held recently in Belgrade, naming it the product of this initiative.

It continues, to be very clear, and Albania has neither closed that it can't close a pair of”, Rama explained. / REL/