Montenegro PM Abazovic lends support to Open Balkan initiative

The Open Balkan initiative was launched by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama and North Macedonia Prime Minister Zoran Zaev as a regional initiative intended to boost economic links in the countries of the Western Balkans. Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti opposes the initiative as did the previous Montenegrin government.

Abazovic told Pristina-based Klan Kosova TV that the initiative was intended to include all six countries of the Western Balkans. “Open Balkan was made for six countries, not made for five and a half or three and a half states, for six. Everyone who takes part represents themselves and their country. My opinion, and I might be wrong, is that the greatest regional interest is to have Kosovo in every regional initiative,” he said.

He rejected claims that Open Balkan was Vucic’s initiative intended to create a Greater Serbia because Albania is involved.

According to the Montenegrin Prime Minister, the most important thing is to increase trust among the countries of the region. “That requires communication and we only have that twice a year – in Berlin and Vienna where we meet among prime ministers, talk and have coffee and no one communicates with anyone afterwards. I think that is wrong,” he said.