Vesic: Benefits of the "Open Balkan" unified market also apply to all citizens of Kosovo with a Serbian ID card

As of a few days ago, the joint labor market of the "Open Balkan" – Serbia, North Macedonia, and Albania, is operational, and Minister of Construction, Transport, and Infrastructure Goran Vesic highlights to Kosovo Online that all citizens of Kosovo, "as an integral part of Serbia," regardless of nationality, if they have a Serbian ID card, can benefit from the agreements within this regional initiative.

"Kosovo and Metohija are an integral part of Serbia, and all citizens of that part of the country, regardless of nationality, are Serbian citizens and can enjoy all the benefits of the agreements Serbia has signed with North Macedonia and Albania," Vesic pointed out.

This means that all individuals with Serbian ID cards can obtain an identification number and work in North Macedonia and Albania without any additional paperwork.

"Any citizen of Serbia living in Kosovo, with a Serbian ID card, can enjoy all the benefits of our regional integrations. This includes Albin Kurti. All he needs to do, if he doesn't already have one, is to get an ID card, and one day, when he is no longer Prime Minister, he may be able to work in Tirana without any obstacles," Vesic emphasized.

He reminds that the point of the "Open Balkan" is to eliminate all barriers to establish the free movement of people, goods, and capital.

"The point lies in connecting people and economies. We need to create a larger, unified market that will enable all citizens and countries to prosper," Vesic added.

He notes that this is precisely the opposite of what the authorities in Pristina, led by Albin Kurti, are doing.

"He is closing off the market in Kosovo and Metohija, trying to separate from Serbia and create a ghetto, not only for Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija but also for Albanians living there. The point of the region is integration, allowing everyone to travel freely and all of us to progress economically, rather than punishing Serbs and, at the same time, Albanians due to some political reasons or a sick desire for an ethnically pure Kosovo," Minister Vesic stated.

He also mentions that one of the most important things in his department, within the "Open Balkan," is the integrated toll payment system, which has been successfully operating between Serbia and North Macedonia since last year.

"We are now finalizing agreements to establish a common tag with Greece, and we will work on this with Montenegro and Croatia as well. This means that when you have a Serbian tag, you can freely travel not only in the 'Open Balkan' countries but also throughout the entire region," Vesic noted.

He adds that efforts are underway to establish green corridors, allowing trucks from these three countries to pass into one another without hindrance, using dedicated lanes, thus eliminating additional costs and enabling better cooperation.

"The future lies in integration, not in dividing people, as Albin Kurti is doing. He divides Serbs and Albanians, but in a way that Serbs have no rights, and Albanians have all the rights. The future is for all of us to live together and develop our economy," Vesic concluded.