Balkans | Montenegro and Albania agree to build a bridge over the Bojana River

Western Balkan countries Albania and Montenegro have signed an agreement to build a bridge over the Bojana River, the border river between the two countries.

In the joint government session with Albania, which was hosted by Montenegro in the capital, Podgorica, the strengthening of cooperation between the two countries in all fields was discussed.

Speaking at the joint press conference held after the session, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama stated that signatures have been signed for the construction of the bridge on the Bojana River, which will shorten the distance between Montenegro and Albania.

Rama said that the Open Balkans initiative is of vital importance for the region, and emphasized that he and his counterpart in Montenegro, Dritan Abazović, also visited the capital of Ukraine, Kyiv, and they always stand by Ukraine.

Rama stated that the membership processes of the countries of the region in the European Union are directly proportional to the cooperation between the countries.

“We see our common future in the European Union”

Montenegrin Prime Minister Abazović also said that they want to strengthen relations and develop cooperation in all fields.

Abazović stated that they want to do joint work for the future and that this should be based primarily on economic development.

Abazovic explained that the bridge to be built on the Bojana River will also connect Montenegro and Albania in the field of tourism, “The bridge will facilitate the passage of people, reduce traffic congestion, especially in summer, and will bring benefits in terms of development of the entire region.” He said.

Stating that they want to increase cooperation between Albania and Montenegro in areas such as health, defense and agriculture, Apazovic said:

“We see our common future in the European Union and we want to send this message from here as well. The relations between the governments of Montenegro and Albania are an example to be followed by other countries in the region. Montenegro is determined to hold joint sessions with neighboring countries because it considers it the best way to get to know each other and resolve important differences.”

Following the intergovernmental session, a series of cooperation protocols were signed between the relevant ministries in the fields of economy, health, culture, defense and the environment, as well as the construction of the bridge over the Bojana River.

Balkan Opening Initiative

The regional initiative, which was founded by the Western Balkan countries Serbia, Albania and North Macedonia and was known as “Mini Schengen” at the time, was presented for the first time on October 10, 2019 in Novi Sad, Serbia, with the participation of the leaders of 3 countries.

The leaders of these countries announced in July 2021 that they had called the regional initiative known as “Mini-Schengen” the “Open Balkans”.

The initiative aims to increase regional cooperation as well as aid the European integration of countries in the region.

AA