Open Balkan 2022: One voice and an opportunity for all

In early October 2021, during the Slovenian presidency of the European Union (EU), an unsuccessful summit between the European Union and the Western Balkan countries was organised in Brdo Castle, in the framework of the EU's strategic cooperation with the Western Balkans. The summit reaffirmed the words of Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić (SNS) since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, when he said that the EU "was a fairy tale on paper" and stressed that "there is no great international or European solidarity".

The EU's lack of interest in enlargement prompted the leaders of the Western Balkan countries to think ahead and seek optimal solutions to the complex situation. Recognising the situation of the Balkan countries regarding the EU enlargement to the Western Balkans, three leaders, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, Prime Minister of North Macedonia Zoran Zaev (SDSM) and Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama (PS) decided in October 2019 to "take destiny into their own hands" and launched a visionary idea of establishing a "mini Schengen". At the end of July 2021, this idea evolved into a regional 'Open Balkan' initiative. The initiative is not a substitute for EU accession, but a way to accelerate accession and harness existing but underutilised potential that will facilitate economic prosperity.

Leaders of the Open Balkans regional cooperation initiative met on 21 December 2021 in Tirana/Elbasan to sign several agreements that will facilitate the movement of people, goods, capital and services between the three countries, as well as trade operations. They signed an agreement on work permits that will allow workers from Albania, North Macedonia and Serbia to more easily obtain the necessary work permits and documents. The agreement on integrated electronic systems should allow citizens of the three countries to submit applications in other countries from any location. In addition, the four agreements related to veterinary and phytosanitary inspections, which were also signed, will facilitate trade in livestock as well as plant and animal products.

Economic prosperity is unimaginable without good neighbourly relations and regional cooperation. Most trade in goods takes place within the region, which provides a strong incentive to improve bilateral and regional relations. There is no leadership or prosperity in an insecure and distrustful neighbourhood. Given that the region has experienced tragic armed conflicts in recent history, it is important that states properly confront the past and eliminate the hateful rhetoric that creates tensions and deters regional cooperation.

It is therefore important to end the abuse of universal competences with regard to the prosecution of war criminals and to allow for judicial prosecution to take place in the state where the respective crime was committed and/or in line with the negotiated agreement between states, without secret or unilateral arrest warrants and arrests. The unilateral referral of war crimes cases from Serbia to the BiH judiciary is a new practice and a positive contribution to the process of addressing the truth and developing mutual trust.

Analysts believe that the "Open Balkans" initiative is a regional initiative for the 21st century Balkans because it will remove border controls and other barriers to facilitate movement (of people, goods, capital and services) in the region, and will allow citizens to travel using only their identity card as a travel document. In addition, the initiative will also enable citizens to find employment anywhere in the region, if they have proof of their qualifications, as well as provide for recognition of qualifications and better cooperation in the fight against organised crime and response to natural disasters. The experience of the COVID-19 pandemic has shown the importance of cooperation, and the current energy crisis the importance of mutual solidarity. The exchange of experience and assistance provided between the countries of the region in the framework of EU integration is valuable.

The countries of the Western Balkans need to establish greater political, economic, scientific, cultural, sporting and other forms of cooperation and to act towards the European Union as a group of countries with clearly defined demands and interests. As for the EU enlargement process, it is necessary to define when enlargement will actually take place, as Brussels cannot postpone it indefinitely. In this context, it is important to underline that regional cooperation does not imply that the countries in the region have given up their European path and EU membership.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić called on all members of the so-called "six Balkans" (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Albania and Serbia) to join the "Open Balkans" initiative, regardless of all the differences that exist on the issue of recognising Kosovo's independence.

In its functioning, the Open Balkans initiative can build on the experiences of cooperation within the so-called Visegrad group of states (Hungary, Poland, Czech Republic and Slovakia), which often pursue a common approach within the EU framework with clearly articulated demands and positions. Moreover, the Visegrad Group (V4) was formed so that the respective countries could more easily and quickly become members of the EU and NATO, which they have achieved. It is therefore important that the countries in the region take a joint approach to the EU and/or other foreign policy initiatives with one voice, as the actions of individual countries are insufficient and do not guarantee success.

Problems of regional cooperation are still present in the Western Balkans. Kosovo's Prime Minister Albin Kurti (LVV) rejected participation in the "Open Balkans" initiative on the grounds that Kosovo already has a clearly defined path to EU and NATO membership. Indeed, Kosovo officials, including Prime Minister Kurti, had declared that this was an attempt to establish a fourth Yugoslavia and a "Greater Serbia".

Montenegrin President Milo Đukanović (DPS) and some BiH leaders offered similar reasons for refusing to join the initiative. It is surprising that the current Montenegrin government, which has not yet dissociated itself from Milo Đukanović's policies and positions, has adopted a similar stance. At the same time, some political leaders in the region believe that the initiative is aimed at creating "Greater Albania".

Current Albanian President Ilir Meta (LSI) stated that "[the project of] Greater Serbia failed, and that of Greater Albania is not possible". The dissemination of information about so-called hegemonic projects, regardless of whether they are projects for a Greater Serbia, Greater Albania, Greater Bulgaria, Greater Hungary or Greater Croatia, deters the region from pursuing the necessary cooperation in all areas and creating the much needed spirit of cooperation and togetherness.

Analysts consider Kosovo to be the most isolated area in Europe. In particular, Kosovo has no visa-free regime with EU member states. In fact, it does not even have a visa-free regime with Bosnia and Herzegovina, which causes enormous damage to Kosovo and its citizens. Kosovo's leaders must realise that cooperation and union-building must be established in the region, because on the global stage the actors are regions, not states.

The EU is a regional integration, while "Open Balkan" is an economic grouping in the making. It is no longer a question of will, but of when the other countries will join the "Open Balkans" initiative, as any delay will mean huge losses for their economies and entrepreneurs, who as taxpayers pay the most into the budgets of their respective countries. It is unacceptable for Kosovo to declare a state of emergency for two months because of a shortage of electricity supply, instead of being able to apply for aid on the basis of solidarity within the framework of the "Open Balkans".

There can be no economic prosperity without developing and nurturing good neighbourly relations. The leaders of Serbia, North Macedonia and Albania were fully aware of this when they launched the regional "Open Balkans" initiative in a historic attempt to promote closeness, cooperation and togetherness. The prospects for the Western Balkans lie in mutual understanding, interconnection and cooperation. Achieving all three requires lasting peace and stability. When the six Western Balkan countries adopt a joint approach and speak with one voice to the EU, this will be a new quality and strength.

Many opportunities for synergy and cooperation have been missed.  Economy of scale is an important element in the context of regional cooperation. "Open Balkan is an economic cluster in the making and will create a competitive advantage for the member countries and the region. "Open Balkan is a peace project. It is a choice between the past and the future. At the Tirana summit, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić said: "think less about the past and more about the future".  Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro still need to be convinced.