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Albania Floats Idea Of Balkan Schengen
Pristina | 09 January 2009 | Kosovo and Albania said they will soon sign an agreement creating a ‘mini-Schengen’ zone allowing free movement across their borders, a deal that could lead to a wider no-border zone in the region.
Travel between Albania and Kosovo is currently possible by showing one’s passport or driver’s license.
“The agreement will enable citizens to move freely and ease the administrative procedures”, Albanian President Bamir Topi said during his visit in Kosovo.
Kosovo President Fatmir Sejdiu said the two states were “aiming to find ways which would ease administrative procedures at the border such as passport control.”
With signature planned withing two months, the two leaders said the agreement would be then sent to other states in the Balkans as an example of trade liberalisation and integration on the way to the European Union.
“This mini- Schengen of South East Europe would be followed by Montenegro and Macedonia,” Sejdiu said.
Topi first visited Kosovo last February, shortly before the territory declared independence from Serbia. On this visit he was declared an honorary citizen of Ferizaj/Urosevac, a town of some 150,000 people in southern Kosovo.
Source: Balkaninsight
