Rama: Don't look for Chinese, Russians, Martians behind the Open Balkans; Abazović: The initiative revived the Berlin process

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama said that his Montenegrin colleague Dritan Abazović expressed his intention to organize the Open Balkans Summit in June in Montenegro, stressing that this initiative is necessary and complementary to the Berlin process.
I thank Abazović for his expressed desire to organize the Open Balkans Summit in June in Montenegro, taking into account that the Berlin Process will have a Summit in Tirana at the beginning of autumn. I claim that the Open Balkans is necessary in order to bring to life the rhythm of all the values and demands arising from the Berlin process - said Rama, adding that at the next summit everyone will be invited to join this initiative.
According to him, the Open Balkans initiative and the Berlin process are complementary and necessary for each other.
We cannot be satisfied only with the leadership of the Berlin Process, but we need to make our forces available, to bring to life the ideas that are the basis of this initiative - emphasized Rama.
When asked where the Open Balkans Summit will be organized in Montenegro, Rama said that the city was not an agreement, but the intention was expressed that it be organized in Montenegro.
I hope it will be somewhere by the sea. I said that the Prime Minister expressed his desire to do it. Do not look for any hidden hand in the Open Balkans initiative. Don't look for Chinese, Russians, Martians, or even Germans behind this initiative. OB is our initiative to revive and implement the principles and goals of the Berlin Process. Whoever wants to see the Chinese, Russians, Martians in this process - he is free to see them - said Rama.
Abazović: The open Balkans revived the Berlin process
Abazović said that the Open Balkans revived the Berlin process. He also said that the OB Summit is not planned in June, but an informal meeting to which leaders from the Western Balkans will be invited.
It's good that he revived it, we adopted the agreements. Montenegro has adopted them and I hope they will be ratified at the next government session. We are planning to organize an informal meeting in June. This is not a classic meeting of the Open Balkans, but in the context of regional cooperation... The idea I presented to Rama is that, if the political circumstances permit, we could soon organize an informal meeting where we would try to bring all the leaders of the Western Balkans to create the atmosphere we have today we have. This is the interest of our country - that there is greater harmony in the neighborhood - stressed Abazović.
If there is a new Summit, Abazović says that he will also participate in it.
"Montenegro and Albania are more than neighbors"
After the joint session of the two governments, Abazović and Rama signed a series of interstate agreements aimed at improving cooperation between the two countries.
He said that the two countries see a great perspective in their relations and cooperation, which should lead to a better life for the citizens of both countries.
We are committed to European integration, we see our common future in the EU and we want that message to be sent from here. I think that the relations between the two governments are exemplary relations in the Western Balkans and that example should be followed by others - said Abazović.
Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama said that Albania and Montenegro are more than neighbors and can have much better results of cooperation in the coming period.
Apart from the direct challenges, the importance of the warmth of this brotherhood and neighborhood seems much greater. Together, we visited Kyiv and the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, as part of our mandate and function as prime minister of two countries that have been on the side of Ukraine since the very beginning of Russian aggression, two countries that are dedicated to the European Union. So, our visit to Kyiv and our joint efforts on all fronts represent the basis of a relationship that has the potential to deepen - emphasized Rama.
The speed of entry into the EU also depends, as he said, on regional cooperation.
From this point of view, both Albania and Montenegro are fully committed to that goal - Rama pointed out, thanking Abazović for his involvement in the entire integration process.
By signing today's agreements, as Rama said, a contribution was made to bring certain ideas to life.
The good news, Rama points out, is that the consortium of Montenegro, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia has started working on the Adriatic-Ionian gas pipeline.
This project will be accelerated if there is good interstate cooperation - emphasized Rama.
Abazović and Rama also commented on the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina.
M. J.