Presidents of Kosovo, Albania, FRY Macedonia and Montenegro met last Saturday near Prizren, Kosovo to discuss regional cooperation and the free movement of people, stressing the importance of regional cooperation, the rule of law and the fight against organized crime in their path toward integration into the European Union and NATO.
TIRANA TIMES
TIRANA, June 28 – Presidents of Kosovo, Macedonia, Albania and Montenegro met last Saturday near Prizren, Kosovo to discuss regional cooperation and the free movement of people.
Kosovo President Fatmir Sejdiu, who hosted the other three heads of state, stressed the importance of regional cooperation, the rule of law and the fight against organized crime.
Albanian President Bamir Topi said he hoped the citizens of Albania and Kosovo will soon enjoy visa-free travel to EU countries, while Montenegrin President Filip Vujanovic pointed out that the free movement of people is essential to European integration. Macedonian President Gjorge Ivanov reaffirmed his country’s willingness to find a solution to the name dispute with Greece. The four heads of state agreed to strengthen relations and to boost regional and economic co-operation.
The regional summit was being held in a hotel near Prizren.
Bilateral meetings between the four presidents were held on Saturday morning, and then a joint meeting between all of them was held in the afternoon.
This is the third summit of its kind, the first two taking place in Albania and Macedonia.
last year it was held in the southwestern port city of Vlora where they pushed for stronger regional ties as a step toward the area’s integration into the European Union and NATO. They also discussed infrastructure and energy projects, tourism, the business environment, strengthening economic ties and fighting crime.
Albania joined NATO last year and Macedonia and Montenegro have applied to join the EU. Kosovo has yet to be included in the accession processes.
Host Sejdiu said that he had not invited Serb President Boris Tadic, explaining that would spoil the meting. Serbia does not recognize Kosovo as an independent state.
The state secretary at the Serbian Ministry for Kosovo, Oliver Ivanovi欠tried to downplay the importance of the meeting, saying that any meeting organized by Prishtina without the participation of Tadic would be less important when a key player in the Balkans is missing.
The four presidents stressed also the need of creating the Balkan mini-Schengen that would allow the regional citizens move freely in the four countries and also an increase of the economic and other ties. The next meeting is expected to be held again in Macedonia.
