Tabanovce-Presevo Border Crossing to Get Special Lane for the Economy Within Open Balkans Initiative

Up until around ten years ago, there was almost no goods exchange with Albania. In the first 10 months of this year, it already reached EUR 77 million. With North Macedonia, it is realistic to reach EUR 250 million by the end of the year. Even better results are expected after the agreement reached in Tirana.

When, starting with January 1, Serbian trucks carrying goods set out for North Macedonia or Albania, but also vice versa, a certificate obtained in a laboratory in the country of origin will be enough to cross the border. There will no longer be lines several kilometers long, customs costs and expenditures for additional analyses.

In three to six months, at the Presevo-Tabanovce crossing, two additional lanes will be built, one of which will be reserved for the economy within the Open Balkans initiative. This should ensure that the goods are not spoiled, causing damage to the company, due to delays at the border.

– Until it reaches Moscow, it travels for 15 days. So, we are welcoming what’s been signed. We now plan, with the Open Balkans, to go to Albania too – says Branko Petrovic of Fruct Company from Udovice.

As the Open Balkans initiative is developing, so is the order on the foreign trade list changing. Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, which didn’t join the agreement, are still our most important foreign trade partners, but the cooperation with North Macedonia and Albania is growing more intensive.

– Of the new surplus of EUR 70 million that we recorded with the Western Balkans, EUR 22 million comes from the exchange with Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro, and as much as EUR 48 million comes from the exchange with North Macedonia and Albania – says Ivan Nikolic, the director for scientific research development of the Institute of Economics.

Ekonomski Institut a.d. Beograd

Privredna komora Srbije

Ministarstvo poljoprivrede, šumarstva i vodoprivrede Republike Srbije

Fruct Company

Institute of Economics

Branko Petrovic

Ivan Nikolic

Presevo Tabanovce border crossing

Moscow

production

customs

administration

export