In July, the leaders of Serbia, North Macedonia and Albania announced a new cooperation initiative for the region. Officially named the Open Balkans project, and unofficially dubbed a mini-Schengen (named for the European Union’s much larger borderless travel area), it aims to lift restrictions to travel and trade between the three countries by 2023. The economic benefits will depend on how the project is implemented, but they’ll be less important than its symbolic value. For the Western Balkans – that is, Serbia, Albania, North Macedonia, Kosovo, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Montenegro – it’s the first serious political response to the European Union stalling accession talks, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic began over a year ago.
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