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In this union, goods and capital between these countries would flow quicker and more than 30 million hours would be saved crossing the borders of these three countries every year. The estimate of the [[World Bank]] projects save of [[United States dollar|US$]]3.2 billion, of which, according to the President Vučić, Serbia would save at least [[United States dollar|US$]]1.5 billion.{{When|date=June 2021}}
In this union, goods and capital between these countries would flow quicker and more than 30 million hours would be saved crossing the borders of these three countries every year. The estimate of the [[World Bank]] projects save of [[United States dollar|US$]]3.2 billion, of which, according to the President Vučić, Serbia would save at least [[United States dollar|US$]]1.5 billion.{{When|date=June 2021}}


The former name referred to the [[Schengen Area]], a common travel area that includes 26 European countries, but not the aforementioned Balkan countries. The idea of the area was brought by Edi Rama in Berlin when he discussed it with the interested nations. On 10 October 2019, the Mini-Schengen Area was declared by Serbia, Albania and North Macedonia.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Simić|first=Julija|date=2019-10-11|title=Three countries agree mini Schengen in the Balkans|url=https://www.euractiv.com/section/enlargement/news/three-countries-agree-mini-schengen-in-the-balkans/|access-date=2021-06-03|website=www.euractiv.com|language=en-GB}}</ref> The next meeting was projected to be in Belgrade, in late spring or summer 2020. The first meeting was due to be held in January or February 2020 in Belgrade. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, no meeting was held and a potential date for new meeting in Belgrade was tentatively scheduled for spring or summer 2020. At that meeting, the leaders of the three countries were expected to give further details on the project. In the joint declaration of October 2019, Serbia, Albania, and North Macedonia guaranteed that, by the end of 2020, they would create the Mini-Schengen Area, ensure the free flow of goods and capital, and ensure unified border crossing procedures.{{citation needed|date=March 2021}} On 29 July 2021, [[Vučić]], [[Rama]] and [[Zaev]] participated in the forum for regional economic cooperation in Skopje, where they signed agreements on the movement of goods, access to the labor market and cooperation in protection against disasters.<ref>https://www.rferl.org/amp/serbia-macedonia-open-balkans/31384360.html#aoh=16277336248243&amp_ct=1627735176495&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&amp_tf=%D0%98%D0%B7%D0%B2%D0%BE%D1%80%3A%20%251%24s</ref>
The former name referred to the [[Schengen Area]], a common travel area that includes 26 European countries, but not the aforementioned Balkan countries. The idea of the area was brought by Edi Rama in Berlin when he discussed it with the interested nations. On 10 October 2019, the Mini-Schengen Area was declared by Serbia, Albania and North Macedonia.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Simić|first=Julija|date=2019-10-11|title=Three countries agree mini Schengen in the Balkans|url=https://www.euractiv.com/section/enlargement/news/three-countries-agree-mini-schengen-in-the-balkans/|access-date=2021-06-03|website=www.euractiv.com|language=en-GB}}</ref> The next meeting was projected to be in Belgrade, in late spring or summer 2020. The first meeting was due to be held in January or February 2020 in Belgrade. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, no meeting was held and a potential date for new meeting in Belgrade was tentatively scheduled for spring or summer 2020. At that meeting, the leaders of the three countries were expected to give further details on the project. In the joint declaration of October 2019, Serbia, Albania, and North Macedonia guaranteed that, by the end of 2020, they would create the Mini-Schengen Area, ensure the free flow of goods and capital, and ensure unified border crossing procedures.{{citation needed|date=March 2021}} On 29 July 2021, [[Aleksandar Vučić|Vučić]], [[Edi Rama|Rama]] and [[Zoran Zaev|Zaev]] participated in the forum for regional economic cooperation in Skopje, where they signed agreements on the movement of goods, access to the labor market and cooperation in protection against disasters.<ref>https://www.rferl.org/amp/serbia-macedonia-open-balkans/31384360.html#aoh=16277336248243&amp_ct=1627735176495&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&amp_tf=%D0%98%D0%B7%D0%B2%D0%BE%D1%80%3A%20%251%24s</ref>


== Potential members ==
== Potential members ==

Revision as of 13:07, 31 July 2021

Open Balkan
  • Ballkan i Hapur (Albanian)
  • Отворен Балкан / Otvoren Balkan (Macedonian)
  • Отворени Балкан / Otvoreni Balkan (Serbian)
  Open Balkan members
  Potential Open Balkan members
Official languages
List
Membership
List
Establishment29 July 2021
Population
• 2021 estimate
11,794,634
GDP (PPP)2021 estimate
• Total
$88.525 billion
• Per capita
$51.021
Currency
  • Lek (ALB; Albania)
  • Denar (MKD; North Macedonia)
  • Dinar (SRB; Serbia)

Open Balkan (Template:Lang-sq; Template:Lang-mk; Template:Lang-sr) is an economic zone being established by three countries in the Balkan region, in Southeast Europe: Albania, North Macedonia and Serbia. With the establishment of this economic zone, Albania, North Macedonia and Serbia aim to increase trade and co-operation, and improve bilateral relations between each other.

The official languages of Open Balkan will be Albanian, Macedonian and Serbian. Its administrative centres will be Belgrade, Skopje and Tirana.

History

Vučić, Zaev and Rama on the Economic Forum for Regional Cooperation

The idea of the Open Balkan (formerly known as Mini-Schengen Area) came in the early 1990s.[citation needed] It was first mentioned as an economic area between these countries of the Balkan peninsula. The plans were eventually abandoned due to the Yugoslav Wars.[clarification needed] The first signs of the Open Balkan emerged in 2018 [citation needed] as a way to improve political relations. The idea of the area was brought by Edi Rama in Berlin when he discussed it with the interested nations. Rama took the idea of the former Prime Minister of Albania Fatos Nano.[1]

The plans for the area were declared on 10 October 2019 in Novi Sad. Two meetings were held, one in Ohrid on 11 November 2019, and the other on 12 December 2019 in Durrës. These countries declared to form a unified market of 12 million people by the end of 2020. On 11 November 2019, at the 2019 Ohrid summit, the President of Serbia, and the Prime Ministers of Albania and North Macedonia agreed to create an economic zone, which would further improve political and economic relations and strengthen cultural ties between the nations.[2]

The first meeting was due to be held in January or February 2020 in Belgrade. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the meeting was postponed and a potential date for new meeting in Belgrade was tentatively scheduled for spring or summer 2020.

Purpose

The Open Balkan's intentions are to provide greater opportunities for trade, student exchanges, and encourage the EU integration in the member states, inter alia.[3] Citizens of member states will need only an ID card to visit other member states, saving time at border crossings.[4] This economic zone prepares the countries to become members of the European Union.[5][6]

In this union, goods and capital between these countries would flow quicker and more than 30 million hours would be saved crossing the borders of these three countries every year. The estimate of the World Bank projects save of US$3.2 billion, of which, according to the President Vučić, Serbia would save at least US$1.5 billion.[when?]

The former name referred to the Schengen Area, a common travel area that includes 26 European countries, but not the aforementioned Balkan countries. The idea of the area was brought by Edi Rama in Berlin when he discussed it with the interested nations. On 10 October 2019, the Mini-Schengen Area was declared by Serbia, Albania and North Macedonia.[7] The next meeting was projected to be in Belgrade, in late spring or summer 2020. The first meeting was due to be held in January or February 2020 in Belgrade. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, no meeting was held and a potential date for new meeting in Belgrade was tentatively scheduled for spring or summer 2020. At that meeting, the leaders of the three countries were expected to give further details on the project. In the joint declaration of October 2019, Serbia, Albania, and North Macedonia guaranteed that, by the end of 2020, they would create the Mini-Schengen Area, ensure the free flow of goods and capital, and ensure unified border crossing procedures.[citation needed] On 29 July 2021, Vučić, Rama and Zaev participated in the forum for regional economic cooperation in Skopje, where they signed agreements on the movement of goods, access to the labor market and cooperation in protection against disasters.[8]

Potential members

Three potential members are Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Kosovo.[a]

On 4 September 2020, Kosovo agreed to join the Mini-Schengen Area as part of the Kosovo and Serbia economic normalization agreements,[9] but so far has not signed any agreement with three founding countries, even opposing the whole initiative.[10][11][12][13]

President of Montenegro Milo Đukanović said that Montenegro is committed to regional initiatives and will participate in the Mini-Schengen Area talks in the coming period and contribute to the Western Balkans region achieving its European integration in the near future. "This means that we strongly believe that regional initiatives are a great opportunity to build confidence and, on that basis, to achieve co-operation that will contribute to the development of the region as a whole." He added that Montenegro is ready to host some of the future meetings. "Each of our countries wants to be part of the EU, but every one wants to Europeanise their society and to ensure that people in our region are part of European values. This is the primary responsibility of all our governments. All the initiatives are far more meaningful when we know that they lead to the achievement of standards that will pave the way for EU membership."[14] But Montenegro is focused more on joining the EU.[15]

A representative of Bosnia and Herzegovina said during the Ohrid summit that Bosnia and Herzegovina is likewise currently focused on joining the European Union.[citation needed]

Economy and Statistics

Belgrade
Tirana
Skopje

The GDP of these countries combined would be $88.525 billion, GDP PPP would be $216.772 billion. GDP per capita would be $20.217, GDP PPP per capita would be $51.021. Albania and North Macedonia would have higher GDP per capita and GDP PPP per capita, and Serbia's GDP/GDP PPP per capita would somewhat decrease. The current currencies are the Serbian dinar, the Albanian lek and the Macedonian denar. The official languages are Serbian, Albanian and Macedonian. The capital cities are Belgrade, Tirana, and Skopje. Some other major cities are Novi Sad, Niš, Durrës, Shkodër, Vlorë, Kraljevo, Bitola, Subotica, Leskovac, Elbasan, Zrenjanin, Korçë and Kragujevac.

Economy of signatory member states

  •  Serbia
    • GDP: $60.435 billion
    • GDP PPP: $141.927 billion
    • GDP per capita: $8,748
    • GDP PPP per capita: $20,544
    • GDP growth: -1.0%(2020),+7.5%(2021)
    • Inflation: 1.2%(2020)
  •  Albania
    • GDP: $15.418 bilion
    • GDP PPP: $40.151 bilion
    • GDP per capita: $5.373
    • GDP PPP per capita: $13.991
    • GDP Growth: -5%(2020),+8.0%(2021)
    • Inflation: 2.0%(2020)
  •  North Macedonia
    • GDP: $12.672 bilion
    • GDP PPP: $34.694
    • GDP per capita: $6.096
    • GDP PPP per capita: $16.486
    • GDP growth: -4%(2020),+7.0%(2021)
    • Inflation: -0.9%(2020)

Population of signatory states

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Template:Kosovo-note

References

  1. ^ https://www.facebook.com/euronews.al/videos/447138156545775
  2. ^ Simić, Julija (2019-10-11). "Three countries agree mini Schengen in the Balkans". www.euractiv.com. Retrieved 2021-06-03.
  3. ^ Simić, Julija (2019-10-11). "Three countries agree mini Schengen in the Balkans". www.euractiv.com. Retrieved 2021-06-03.
  4. ^ "Mini-Schengen: what does this accord mean for the EU?". www.etiasvisa.com. Retrieved 2021-06-03.
  5. ^ Simić, Julija (2019-10-11). "Three countries agree mini Schengen in the Balkans". www.euractiv.com. Retrieved 2020-04-25.
  6. ^ Holroyd, Matthew (2019-11-11). "Western Balkan leaders plot their own 'mini-Schengen' zone". euronews. Retrieved 2020-04-25.
  7. ^ Simić, Julija (2019-10-11). "Three countries agree mini Schengen in the Balkans". www.euractiv.com. Retrieved 2021-06-03.
  8. ^ https://www.rferl.org/amp/serbia-macedonia-open-balkans/31384360.html#aoh=16277336248243&amp_ct=1627735176495&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&amp_tf=%D0%98%D0%B7%D0%B2%D0%BE%D1%80%3A%20%251%24s
  9. ^ "Šta piše u sporazumu Kosova i Srbije?". Radio Slobodna Evropa (in Serbo-Croatian).
  10. ^ "Gërvalla in Slovenia: EU must stop 'mini-Schengen'". 21 media.
  11. ^ "PM Rama Criticises Kosovo Premier for Not Participating in Balkans Mini-Schengen". albanian daily news.
  12. ^ "Kosovo government does not support Open Balkans initiative". Radio Slobodna Evropa (in Macedonian).
  13. ^ "Kosovo considers the "Open Balkan" initiative as very dangerous". Alsat (in Macedonian).
  14. ^ ""Mini-Schengen" initiative remains open to the region, next meeting in Belgrade". European Western Balkans. 2019-12-21. Retrieved 2021-07-01.
  15. ^ "Montenegro Rejects Balkan 'Mini Schengen' Proposal". Balkan Insight. 2019-11-12. Retrieved 2021-05-22.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
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