Cadez: Western Balkans Two Steps Away from EU

The proposition of the business community of the Western Balkans for the purpose of a quicker integration of the region into the European Union is very clear and simple – the first step is an urgent initiation of negotiations about the creation of the European Economic Community of Southeast Europe, and the second is the acceleration of the process toward the full membership, pointed out the president of the Chamber of Commerce of Serbia (CCIS), Marko Cadez, while taking part in the Economic Forum in Delphi, Greece, at the panel dedicated to the Western Balkans – “The Western Balkans: Stability or Disagreements”.

– Finland, Austria and Iceland had such a model of accession to the EU, and that is how Iceland or Norway function today – the president of the CCIS said.

As he pointed out, the most important question is how to contribute together to the acceleration of the integration process, because we have been hearing since 2003 about how the countries of this region have a European perspective. The business community of the entire region has a unified position that the process of accession should be redefined in agreement with the European partners.

The president of the CCIS estimated that the cooperation within the Open Balkans functioned very well and expressed hope that more countries would join that initiative, because it came from the countries of the region themselves.

– Previously, there was no intensive communication between the ministries of Macedonia and Serbia and now ministers are communicating on a weekly level and solving the problems of how to accelerate the passing of trucks through border checkpoints, the recognition of mutual documents and certificates. On the one hand, it is a good result, but on the other, it is important to find a way of communicating with the European Union as a region and to have a clear perspective – Cadez said.

Privredna komora Srbije

Chamber of Commerce of Serbia

CCIS

Marko Čadež

Delphi Economic Forum

Western Balkans

Western Balkans business community

integration of the region into the European Union

European Economic Community of Southeast Europe

Western Balkans Stability or Disagreements

Open Balkans