prijava
SARAJEVO, November 9 (FENA) - Top EU officials, leaders of the Berlin Process (Germany, France, Italy, the UK and Poland) and leaders of the Western Balkans will hold a video conference tomorrow to approve a multi-year action plan called the Common regional market. The importance of this leadership summit, organized by this year's co-chairs of the Berlin Process, Bulgaria and North Macedonia, is not only in the EU's repeated certification of the future of the Western Balkans, but also in the adoption of concrete activities that will accelerate the process in 2021-2024. These activities largely put into operation the EU Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans, worth nine billion euros, for better infrastructural connectivity, competitiveness, inclusive development, and the so-called green and digital transition.
Head of the RCC's Political Department, Amer Kapetanović, a longtime Bosnian diplomat working temporarily for the organization commented for FENA on the role of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), a regional organization based in Sarajevo.
“Without any false modesty the role of RCC is crucial. The RCC coordinated, drafted and catalyzed the regional political agreement for the Common Market Action Plan. We cooperated on a daily basis with the European Commission, relevant organizations such as CEFTA and the Transport Community, the Regional Chamber of Commerce, and government representatives. We have also created solid conditions for future processes for automatic recognition of academic qualifications in the Balkans, labor mobility,” says Kapetanović.
In the continuation of the conversation, he explained where is the so-called Mini Schengen in all this.
“The initiative called Mini Schengen implies more intensive work on the implementation of the free movement of goods, people and services and capital in the region in order to achieve the goal of joining the European Union. The idea was presented by Albania, North Macedonia and Serbia at the meetings in Novi Sad and Ohrid in October and November 2019, respectively. Now, these four freedoms from the mini Schengen are an integral part of the action plan for the common market, which is broader in scope. Our goal is to reduce the waiting time for trucks with goods at border crossings by 70% through common harmonized policies. We will go on reducing the price of roaming with the EU after we reach the zero roaming tariff in the Western Balkans in July 2021. Create IT industrial hubs covered by 5G network. Abolish bank commissions on money transfers within the Western Balkans. Establish a single market for e-business in the Balkans. Synchronize investment policies in line with EU standards. To enable small and medium enterprises better performance in international markets and easier technology transfer, and to establish a regional automotive industry cluster. So, as you can see, this is not about replacing the EU process with a new geopolitical sphere, but, as this plan confirms, catalyzing a new, European, dimension of regional cooperation. The EU stands firmly behind this plan, as do its most important members, also members of the Berlin Process. It is important to mention here the EU's support for the establishment of a guarantee scheme for the Western Balkans, which will provide the necessary investment guarantees to mobilize 20 billion euros of investment in infrastructure, green transition, circular economy,” said the interlocutor.
In the context of freedom of movement, Kapetanović answered affirmative when asked whether this means the final abolition of visas between BiH and Kosovo.
The conversation also raised the question of why the Council of Ministers, at its session last week, did not give its consent to the Chairman of the Council of Ministers, Zoran Tegeltija, to vote for this plan at the Berlin Process Summit?
“As far as I know, this is the constitutional competence of the Presidency of BiH and I am sure that the members of the Presidency understand this process in the right way and that they will certainly give their consent to the highest BiH representatives to confirm this pro-European and pro-regional position of BiH at the Western Balkans and EU Summit on November 10. Moreover, I think it is an imperative that is fully in line with the generally accepted and established principles and priorities of BiH foreign policy that I myself worked on while I was in the BiH MFA. If the citizens and politicians in BiH agree on anything, it is the European perspective and regional cooperation. BiH, as the seat of our organization, the founding country, has always supported regional cooperation and I think that it will now approach this strategic process within which it will best affirm its own and regional interests. This is only possible if you represent your own interests,” Amer Kapetanović, Head of the RCC's Political Department, told FENA.
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