Open Balkan

TheOpen Balkanis an economic and political zone of three member states in theBalkans, those beingAlbania,North MacedoniaandSerbia. The zone has a total area of 131,935 km(50,940 sq mi) and an estimated total population of almost 11million located in Central and Southern Europe. The official languages areAlbanian,MacedonianandSerbian. Its administrative centres are the cities ofBelgrade,SkopjeandTirana. With the establishment of the zone, all three member states aim to increasetradeandcooperationas well as improve bilateral relations.
The idea of the Open Balkan (formerly known as Mini-Schengen Area) came in the early 1990s.It was first mentioned as an economic area between these countries of theBalkan Peninsula. The plans were eventually abandoned due to theYugoslav Wars.The first signs of the Open Balkan emerged in 2018 as a way to improve political relations.The idea of the area was brought byEdi RamainBerlinwhen he discussed it with the interested nations. Rama took the idea of the former Prime Minister of AlbaniaFatos Nano.
The plans for the area were declared on 10 October 2019 inNovi Sad.Two meetings were held, one inOhridon 11 November 2019, and the other on 12 December 2019 inDurrës. These countries declared to form a unified market of 12 million people by the end of 2020. On 11 November 2019, at the 2019Ohridsummit, the President of Serbia, 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.
The first meeting was due to be held in January or February 2020 inBelgrade. However, due to theCOVID-19 pandemic, the meeting was postponed and a potential date for new meeting in Belgrade was tentatively scheduled for spring or summer 2020.
An Open Balkan leaders summit was held on 2 September 2022 inBelgrade. Serbia, North Macedonia and Albania signed several agreements on the exchange of food products, energy, cinematography, as well as cooperation in emergency situations. The countries also agreed to further cooperation and easing tensions in the Balkan region. Montenegrin prime ministerDritan Abazovićand the chairman of the council of ministers of Bosnia and HerzegovinaZoran Tegeltijaalso attended the summit, expressing their wishes for these countries to join the initiative.
The former name referred to theSchengen Area, a common travel area that includes 29 European countries, but not the aforementioned Balkan countries.
The Open Balkan's intentions are to provide greater opportunities for trade, student exchanges, and encourage theEUintegration in the member states,inter alia.Citizens of member states will need only an ID card to visit other member states, saving time at border crossings.This economic zone prepares the countries to become members of the European Union.
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 theWorld Bankprojects savings of$3.2 billion, of which, according to the President Vučić, Serbia would save at least $1.5 billion.
On 29 July 2021,Vučić,RamaandZaevparticipated 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.It has been agreed mutual acceptance of diplomas and job qualifications, all making work forces more flexible and available and so attracting more investment. As part of the initiative, a regional economic forum attended by some 350 companies, mostly coming from these three countries but also from the wider region, was also held.
The Open Balkan currently comprises three member states, including Albania, North Macedonia and Serbia.
Three potential members areBosnia and Herzegovina,MontenegroandKosovo.
On 4 September 2020, Kosovo agreed to join the Mini-Schengen Area as part of theKosovo and Serbia economic normalization agreements,but so far has not signed any agreement with three founding countries, even opposing the whole initiative.Prime Minister of KosovoAlbin Kurtirejected the invitation for the summit in Ohrid which is held on June 7–8. Kurti said that "the Open Balkan initiative is a harmful regional initiative with no vision. Kosovo does not want to join in because Serbia is not treating it as an equal side and independent country".
FormerPrime Minister of MontenegroDritan Abazovićsaid he supports Open Balkan Initiative,saying "The Open Balkan initiative was made for six countries."Also following the latest voting in Montenegro, the collective voice of the people has expressed a desire to become part of the Open Balkan Initiative. "The President of Montenegro, Jakov Milatović, spoke to the Viennese newspaperDer Standardabout Montenegro's role in the current geopolitical moment. Commenting on the "Open Balkan" initiative, Milatović stated that our part of Europe was the only one without borders 50 years ago, but now it has borders. He also added that joining the Open Balkan is a measure to facilitate relations with Serbia, and that 60 percent of Montenegrins want Montenegro to participate in the initiative."
FormerChairman of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina,Zoran Tegeltija, expressed  personal support for the initiative,but Bosnia and Herzegovina still lacks a consensus about it for "political reasons".
In 2020, the GDP of these countries combined would be $80.027 billion, GDP PPP would be $207.326 billion. In 2020, GDP per capita would be $6,256, GDP PPP per capita would be $16,658. 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 theAlbanian lek, theMacedonian denarand theSerbian dinar.
On 2 August 2021, the directors of the post offices of Serbia and North Macedonia,Zoran Đorđevićand Jani Makraduli signed in Belgrade a Protocol for business cooperation.
On 3 August 2021, by an order of the President of Serbia Aleksandar Vučić, four helicopters of theMinistry of Internal Affairs (Serbia), have been sent to help colleagues fromMinistry of Internal Affairs (North Macedonia)for firefighting in North Macedonia.
On 12 May 2022, Serbian Minister of Trade, Tourism and TelecommunicationsTatjana Matićtalked in Tirana with Albanian Minister of Tourism and EnvironmentMirela Kumbaroabout cooperation within the "Open Balkans" initiative, with an emphasis on removing barriers and reaching an agreement in the field of tourism.