Speaking at a press conference after the meeting with Rama and Kovacevski within the Open Balkans Initiative, Vucic said that the reception of new identification cards was also discussed, noting that it was agreed that progress could be made on this matter in the coming months.
We agreed on the completion of the process of securing work permits, and that would be the basis, I dare say, the basis of economic cooperation between all of us, the President of Serbia pointed out.
He said that he discussed with the prime ministers how to help ordinary people and how to remove all obstacles and enable free trade and free flow of goods, people, capital and services.
We discussed many important issues in order to prepare everything before the start of the summer season, and among them are those related to food safety, said Vucic.
According to him, the topic of the conversation was the harmonisation of identification documents that will speed up crossing the borders.
Vucic pointed out that the trade exchange between Serbia and North Macedonia is increasing and that it has increased by 50 percent in the last three years.
The biggest obstacle for countries in the Western Balkans are the borders, because when you have trucks that transport some kind of goods, they drive 30 percent of the time, and spend 70 percent at the borders, Vucic explained.
The President of Serbia is in Verona, where he visited the International Wine Fair VinItaly 2023.
He was welcomed at the fair by President of the Veneto region in Italy Luca Zaia and Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs Antonio Tajani.
Together with Prime Ministers of North Macedonia and Albania Dimitar Kovacevski and Edi Rama respectively, Vucic visited the wine fair, and with Minister of Foreign Affairs of Italy Antonio Tajani, he visited a joint stand where winemakers from Serbia, Albania and North Macedonia are exhibited.
More than 200 labels of the best wines from Serbia, North Macedonia and Albania will be presented at the joint stand. Of the total number, 90 labels are from Serbia, from 41 wineries.
The wines at the Open Balkans stand will be presented by the top sommeliers of the three countries, and a masterclass will be organised where the autochthonous varieties of the Balkans will be presented.
VinItaly is the leading wine and spirits fair dedicated to wine companies on the world market. It gathers 4,500 exhibitors and a record number of visitors is expected.