Balkans plan for a unified stock market

TIRANA, Sep 18ؓeveral Balkan central bank governors called on Thursday for the region’s countries to unify their stock markets into a single bourse as a way of preparing for eventual European integration, Reuters reported.
Serbia, Bosnia, Montenegro and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) have their own stock markets, while Albania is considering launching one as well.
Serbian central banker Radovan Jelasic told Reuters in an interview that taking into consideration the size of the market and how small the market capitalization is of all the markets, “Ʃt would definitely be a very good thing.”
Albania is the latest country talking about opening a stock market. “The problem is the efficiency of the stock market, not only in Albania, but also in the region,” Albania’s central bank governor, Ardian Fullani, said.
According to him, a single stock exchange will provide for lower costs, more efficiency and better control. Fullani also said it would be a good idea to adopt a regional regulatory framework in other economic areas to help prepare the Balkans for eventual EU membership. Central bankers from the region met in the Albanian capital Tirana on Thursday. Their proposal came on the same day when Vienna, Budapest, Prague and Ljubljana Stock Exchanges unveiled their new family brand, CEE Stock Exchange Group.