Christopher Hill (BETAPHOTO/MILOS MISKOV)
U.S. Ambassador to Serbia Christopher Hill said on Feb. 9 that the countries of the Balkans must have a cooperation model and commended the Open Balkans project as a positive, homegrown idea.
“I like that it was developed here in the Balkans, not imposed from abroad. We support it, along with other regional integration projects,” Hill told the RTS public service.
Asked what challenges remain in the path of further regional economic integration, the ambassador said that there are “obvious political challenges: inherited problems and distrust.” “I’d say there is a lot of historical heritage here, far more than necessary. We must find a way to overcome that,” Hill explained.
The Open Balkans is a regional initiative launched by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama and then-Prime Minister of North Macedonia Zoran Zaev in 2019. Initially called the Mini Schengen, it was re-named the Open Balkans in 2021. Its purpose is to promote the free movement of goods, services and people.
Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo and Montenegro have yet to join the initiative.
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