Pekevski: The Open Balkan will be modified

The Open Balkan will not be ended, but it will be modified in some way because certain countries and politicians have a negative stance toward that project, says Macedonian analyst Siniša Pekevski for Kosovo Online.

Commenting on Prime Minister Mickoski's statement that the Open Balkan has flaws and that it should be discussed with strategic partners, Pekevski still "does not believe that this is the end."

"As with any process, not all challenges that the project will face can be predicted. They can be partially planned, but I don't believe that the Open Balkan project will end. It will be modified in some way because some countries, or certain politicians, have a negative stance toward the project, but elections are coming in Kosovo, and I believe that some things will change and improve. The project will truly come to life for the fast transfer of both passengers and goods," our interlocutor believes.

He adds that in the event of a possible shutdown of the initiative, the biggest losers would be the citizens.

"The citizens will lose the most, followed by the economies. Due to the fact that border congestion will be very significant, and there won’t be such a fast flow. On the other hand, we see that countries with young people capable of working are emptying out quickly, and it’s likely that both the countries and the citizens living there will seek their fortunes in Western countries, rather than staying here," Pekevski assesses.