I express my pleasure in the fact that us Presidents of the countries of our region are holding the fourth summit and continuing with this good tradition that aims to expand the cooperation between our people and countries.
Honourable President of Montenegro, Mr Filip Vujanović,
Honourable President of Macedonia, Mr Gjorge Ivanov,
Honourable President of Albania, Mr Bujar Nishani,
I express my pleasure in the fact that us Presidents of the countries of our region are holding the fourth summit and continuing with this good tradition that aims to expand the cooperation between our people and countries.
We, the countries of the region, are directed towards each other. We had a difficult past, hence, taking these lessons and experiences we had, we must develop good and all encompassing relations in function of progress and mutual understanding.
Our countries aim to become member countries of the European Union and this journey can be traversed easier in cooperation and by mutually aiding each other and absorbing each other’s experiences.
We, the countries of the region maintain good relations, relations that must be further expanded by bilateral and multilateral agreements in all fields. Our Governments must investigate all opportunities for economic cooperation and for the facilitation of the movement of people and goods between our countries.
We must intensify the cooperation in the field of security, instigate a better coordination of relevant institutions of our respective countries in fighting of smuggling and organised crime, with the intention to create joint mechanisms that will prove successful towards the augmentation of the efficiency of the fight against these negative phenomena.
In this process we must aid one another, we must utilise the experiences and expertise in the fight against corruption which is related to the organised crime and other cross-border crimes.
I would like to ask of you once again that you contribute towards Kosovo becoming an equal member of all the regional and international security mechanisms, because only in this manner Kosovo may undertake all the responsibilities and provide its contribution towards fighting and prevention of organised crime.
Our countries must develop closer bilateral and regional cooperation in order to build mechanisms for the help that we can provide to each other in the field of economy; creation of opportunities and incentives for each other to stimulate the economic development, to intensify joint projects of capital and investments, drawing of European Union, International Monetary Fund, World Bank, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development funds, that we can all benefit from through joint projects.
We can achieve this by improvement of our road and railway infrastructure, joint management of waters, through joint protection and conservation of nature, through investment in border regions and sea-ports and terminals connected to European corridors.
In our countries we must utilise all our resources and markets, we must intensify
Economic cooperation and trade in order to surpass the effects of the global economic crisis.
Honourable Presidents,
We know better than anyone else that stability and peace are of an utmost importance for the whole of the region and that normalisation of relations between all the states of the Western Balkans has no other alternative, including the full normalisation of relations between the Republic of Kosovo and republic of Serbia. This benefits all citizens and contributes towards the membership into European Union.
Kosovo and Serbia must help each other and must open a new chapter in their bilateral relations as sovereign and independent states that respect the territorial integrity and respect the fundamental rights and freedoms of citizens of both countries. Hence, a more rapid normalisation of relations would advance the European agenda of each country.
We are currently engaged in a dialogue process in Brussels, facilitated by European Union and strongly supported by United States of America. In the last few months we have heightened the level of representation to the level of Prime Minister of both countries and are expecting that by spring next year, reach a consensus and agreement on all main issues. Dialogue process has provided results and we would like to see those agreements implemented in the field. One of the results is the agreement on the Integrated Border management, by which agreement Kosovo and Serbia have made advances in border management as one of the preconditions for European Union membership.
We would like to implement the Integrated Border Management system with the rest of our neighbouring countries as well.
This century is the century of integrations, of understanding and cooperation and of mutual assistance. Century in which we leave behind the hegemony and imposition of decisions by force and violence and policies of division and further confrontation which will hold the future of each country of the region hostage. We have already opened the chapter of sincere relations, as free, equal and dignified countries and nations. Our future is clear and unstoppable.
This is why whole of the regions today needs reconciliation. Reconciliation between people and understanding between states that would increase the cooperation between us and will open new horizons for all Balkans. This requires the engagements of every single one of us, in order that history does not repeat itself, ever again; in order to build a safe future by learning from the lessons of the past. So, let’s all look forward, let us get closer to the gates of Europe, where our nations all rightly belong to and where advancement and progress are more attainable.
Us, four countries of the region are providing a good example of cooperation and this summit must be enlarged with the presence of Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina as well, as in this manner we increase the regional cooperation and help towards the journey of the whole Balkans towards EU membership.
I would like to thank President Vujanović for the hospitality and excellent organisation of this Summit. We wish that President Nishani will organise as good a summit as the present one next year, in hope that the Summit will be held during the summer season and that we would have the opportunity to, in a more relaxed atmosphere, enjoy the beauties and the climate of Albania.
Thank you very much.