Immigration: Western Balkan Leaders Continue Their ‘Mini-Schengen’ Plans Without Kosovo

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The leaders of Albania, Serbia, North Macedonia, Bosnia Herzegovina, and Montenegro showed they are very serious in their plans for the establishment of a new Schengen-alike zone in the Western Balkan, as they met for the second time in about a month, in Ohrid on November 9.

The President of North Macedonia Zoran Zaev hosted the Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, Montenegrin Minister of Economy Dragica Sekulic, Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia Herzegovina and the Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, in a meeting in Ohrid to discuss the initiative that aims to remove barriers for free movement of goods in the region.

An agreement on a set of measures that will contribute to the growth and development of the countries of the region, was reached in this meeting, include making possible traveling between the participating countries with only an ID. An action plan for their implementation is expected to be adopted soon.

The leaders also discussed on creating a system to permit foreigners getting a visa to one of the participating countries, to travel to the others with the same.

The adoption of a common package of documentation needed for the transport of goods, mutual recognition of professional qualifications and incentives for student exchanges, joint research and development projects were also discussed amongst others. Border cooperation and fight against crime and terrorism were also part of the talks.

Kosovo Refuses to Participate – Former PM Calls It “A New Yugoslavia”

PM Rama and PM Zaev had previously met in Novi Sad in Serbia, in October, where the initiative was announced. The trio had also announced that the initiative was open to the rest of the Western Balkan countries, including Kosovo, which Serbia and BiH do not recognize as independent.

However, while Montenegro and BiH became part of the second meeting, Kosovo refused to participate. Kosovo’s President, Hashim Thaçi posted a statement on his Facebook profile, listing several arguments to support its stance on the initiative.

According to him the initiative is meaningless as long as Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina do not recognize Kosovo’s independence.

“Kosovo was deliberately overlooked by Serbia at the First Summit of this new regional initiative. Second, Kosovo’s only vision remains EU and NATO membership. Therefore, we do not want in any circumstances to replace our Euro-Atlantic perspective with any regional initiative,” he wrote while adding that Kosovo is still committed to good neighborliness and removing obstacles to the freedom of people and goods.

“Kosovo cannot be part of such a summit, attended by states that do not yet recognize the reality of independent Kosovo,” he continues, further insisting that current obstacles can be overcome only through dialogue and mutual recognition

“Only when that happens will we become part of such regional initiatives as equal states,” he wrote.

Whereas, former Kosovo PM and leader of the second largest political party in Kosovo, Isa Mustafa, said that the Mini-Schengen Project is like a new Yugoslavia.

“Such projects seem attractive at first glance, but in essence lead to a new Yugoslavia, with Albania, without Croatia and without Slovenia… Serbia and some other countries in the region are the ones who benefit from agreements like that of the Mini-Schengen”, Mustafa said.

Kosovo’s stance on the initiative was criticized by the Albanian PM Rama, who said that Kosovo was excluding itself.

US Special Representative for WB Supports Mini-Schengen

While EU leaders have not yet commented on Western Balkans plan, the US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State and US Special Representative for the Western Balkans Matthew Palmer has supported the initiative, while criticizing the European Council for failing to reach consensus on opening negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania.

“It is a promising initiative, and it has our support and we are committed to working in partnership with the leaders of the Western Balkans to make progress”, Palmer told to reporters.

 

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