PREŠEVO – Prime Minister of Macedonia Zoran Zaev met today with Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vučić at Preševo border crossing.
Zaev expressed his satisfaction for being able to announce, together with Vučić, an important project of integrated border management, One stop show.
He also emphasised very friendly relations between the two countries, adding that they will only improve in the future.
In his speech, Zaev explained that waiting at border crossings costs the Balkans 1 billion Euros every year, and that 80% of the time needed for transportation of goods is spent on the crossings, while only 20% is spent on the road.
This data means, he assessed, that region’s governments should act swiftly and be useful to their citizens.
Zaev underlined that Macedonia supports a positive solution for Kosovo, which would improve lives of both Serbs and Albanians and guarantee peace, security and prosperity of “both Serbia and Kosovo”.
He also stressed the importance of regional leaders’ unity around common goal of regional cooperation and EU membership.
President Vučić also commented on the still ongoing Belgrade-Pristina negotiations process.
He said it would be good to allow Serbs and Albanians to arrange their relations on their own, because they need peace and stability, and not serving the interests of great powers.
“We live here and we have to agree how we will live in the future, and not to fulfill wishes of others”, Serbia’s President stated.
The fact that Croatia, Macedonia and Montenegro regard Kosovo as a unified and independent country is nothing new, he noted, and emphasised that he has a right to hold a different opinion.
“We only want to have a right to protect our own interests, without endangering stability of other”, Vučić stated. Mutual solution would be most beneficial to region’s peace, stability and prosperity, he concluded.