"Open Balkans" increases trade among member countries by a third

The volume of trade exchange in the Open Balkan region has increased by almost 30%, the Minister of Internal and External Trade Tomislav Momirovic said. He added that the Open Balkans initiative aims to create a single regional market and that it is therefore necessary to continue the abolition of unnecessary border procedures - as per the Government press release.

Momirovic attended the opening of the regional conference "Development of new markets and attracting new clients and business opportunities", organized by the D. R. Gilbert Center and the Slovenian Business Club, and said that only this way can the country attract more investments, speed up and increase the turnover of people and goods and let's raise the standard of all citizens in our region.

According to him, the issue of reducing long waiting times at borders is important for Serbia for several reasons, primarily because the most important export market for our country is the European Union, as well as due to the fact that our country is an important transit area through which partners from the region trade with EU member states.

He pointed out that the data recorded in mid-May show that at the Horgos border crossing at the entrance to Serbia, trucks, of which there were seven in a column, waited for 30 minutes, whereas at the exit from our country, the three kilometers-long queue of trucks waited for up to eleven hours.

- At the Batrovci border crossing, at the entrance to Serbia, the waiting time was six hours, whereas at the exit from our country, the trucks waited for 16-18 hours and the column was more than five kilometers long - the minister specified.

Momirovic also said that these data confirm it is significantly easier for trucks from the EU to enter Serbia and that our country's border inspections are trying to speed up the procedures, while on the other hand, the border authorities of the EU member states have much more complicated procedures, bearing in mind the external border of the Union and increased controls.

- How many positive results is the Open Balkans initiative already producing can be seen on the example of the Presevo border crossing, where the waiting time on both sides is identical, up to 30 minutes, and the convoy is no larger than seven trucks because the integrated border management with North Macedonia has been established - Momirovic pointed out.

The minister noted that progress has been made in solving long-standing non-customs barriers and obstacles, which has led to easier trade in the region, primarily in the field of import and export of food products. In some cases, the time for export-import of food products was shortened by up to 50%, and the direct costs of taxes and fees were reduced by up to 80%, which increased the volume of trade exchange in the Open Balkans region by almost 30%, he concluded.

Ministarstvo unutrašnje i spoljne trgovine Republike Srbije

D.R. GILBERT GROUP Beograd

Slovenački poslovni klub Beograd

Tomislav Momirovic

Open Balkans

Development of new markets and attraction of new clients and business opportunities