Another joint border checkpoint was launched today at the Qafë Thanë border crossing with new one-stop and one border control program entered into force, practically “undoing” the border between Albania and North Macedonia and easing movement of people and goods through significantly streamlined procedures.

The launch of a single checkpoint at Qafë Thanë border crossing follows the previous successful experiences with the joint one-time border controls at the Murriqan and Morinë border crossings. The project aims to improve infrastructure and streamline border control procedures through a ONE STOP SHOP system or one time stops and control for vehicles crossing the border.

Prime Minister Edi Rama and the Prime Minister of North Macedonia Dimitar Kovacevski today visited the joint checkpoint at Qafë Thanë border crossing, a project showing the strengthened cooperation between the two countries.

Addressing a ceremony marking the launch of the joint one-stop controls at the border, the Prime Minister of North Macedonia Dimitar Kovacevski said: “The very fact that we are together at Qafë-Thanë border crossing to launch the one stop shop program is an outcome of this bilateral relation. Today we are enabling a faster flow of our citizens between the two countries and a faster flow of companies involved in transporting goods through the largest border crossing point between the two countries.”

Facilitating the flow simultaneously increases the relations between people, the communication between people. It also enhances friendship between people, something that has been absent for half a century between Albania and the then Macedonia, but this is now a thing of the past. Today we represent an example of how two neighbouring countries should behave. Today, together with Albania we are launching the “One-stop-shop” concept, joint management of border and police and customs controls. What is expected to ensue starting tomorrow is about efforts to boost human resources capacities at this joint one-time control centre and introduce new methods designed to streamline procedures and reduce wait time.”

On his part, PM Rama noted that the launch of the joint checkpoint at Qafë Thanë border crossing represents an important step as it significantly eases border crossing procedures, giving further impetus not only to trade exchanges, but also to bilateral ties as a whole and tourism development in particular.

Prime Minister Edi Rama:  Honourable Prime Minister, dear Dimitar!

Honourable authorities from both countries, honourable police and customs officers,

Today represents an important moment for all those crossing this border point, be them either individuals or companies operating in trade exchanges between the two countries. It is a milestone event as we at last ease for them the border crossing procedures at this point and definitely provide a further boost, not only to trade exchanges, but also to further strengthening of the bilateral ties all in all, without forgetting development of tourism.

This year, Albania is experiencing an exceptional impact of its image transformation and is seeing an exponential flow of tourists like never before, as well as a growing number of international investors interested in investing in Albania’s tourism industry and it is an extremely encouraging reality. However, further development and growth of tourism industry, as well as further targeted grow of other sectors of the country’s economy require quite a complex approach and streamlining and transforming the border crossing procedures is absolutely an inalienable part of this approach.

Together with the Prime Minister we have constantly discussed and have seen firsthand that there is indeed a deep sea between saying and doing, because a lot of barriers are encountered due to the inertia of the past, as well as due to the unreasonable opinions when it comes precisely to the movement liberalization. Indeed, the movement liberalisation comes with not only with more facilities, but also with more transparency. It comes with fewer risks from illicit and ill practices in terms of treatment of the citizens and trade companies, and it definitely comes with increased responsibility and accountability for all the relevant law enforcement agencies at the border crossings.

More than 770,000 citizens and over 352,000 vehicles have crossed the border between the two countries in the first half of this year alone.

It is a very significant flow of people and goods albeit this is not the most intensive border crossing point and a streamlined one-time stop [procedure with both representatives of our law enforcement agencies jointly operating in the same single checkpoint is what is needed. On the other hand, I very much hope the ministries of internal affairs of both countries with take their cooperation to a whole new level during the height of this summer tourist season, allowing for free flow of people and vehicles, or more precisely for random control of vehicles bearing registration plates of Albania and the Republic of North Macedonia, in order to further ease traffic, but, moreover, all travellers on both sides of the border face no border stops and checks that would result in more distress and time waste.

This is definitely an important step, but the final goal is the unification of customs, which will of course come with the full integration of both the Republic of Albania and the Republic of North Macedonia into the EU. However, we do not have to wait for the European Union to advance such an idea. A lot were sceptical and derided the process when we launched the originally so-called the mini-Schengen and Open Balkans later, but the results increasingly speak for themselves. Let’s turn the space between a space where interaction and coexistence happen just like they happen within the EU without having to wait for us to fully integrate into the European Union.

Rightly enough, the Prime Minister touched upon a major project we are jointly taking forward, namely the Corridor 8 Project. The day for fulfilment of a lifelong and long-standing dream has come and work is underway on both sides of the border to build this important Corridor. We have already launched work on construction of two out of four segments of the Corridor 8  and we have made a lot of efforts to renew this project as part of the ancient Via Egnatia, as well as part of the European infrastructure network. It has been a tough endeavour, but we ultimately succeeded to revive the project at the EU- Western Balkans Summit in Tirana and this gives us more positive energies, but it also provides us with yet another important source of support from the European Union and it was to this end that another summit took place in Rome with the Foreign Minister of Italy, the Foreign Minister of the Republic of Albania, the foreign ministers of North Macedonia and Bulgaria a few days ago.

On the other hand, let’s not forget the Blue Corridor Project, on which intense work is already underway. We are about to kick of work on construction of a series of road segments, including the road between Milot and Balldren, and further Kashar – Lekaj segment and Lekaj – Fier road. In the meantime, we are waiting to launch work on construction of Milot – Thumanë highway, whereas work is already underway on construction of Thumanë – Kashar highway section with around 70% of construction work complete. We expect the design on road linking Buna with Balldren to complete within this year and this way we intend to build a road corridor meeting highest EU standards and linking Albania’s north and south and consequently putting an end to the torture all the travellers go through while travelling and driving from Kosovo or from Albania’s north to reach Tirana through a narrow tormenting road due to the traffic congestion.

The best awaits both Albania and North Macedonia. I am really grateful to the Prime Minister of North Macedonia and his whole team for agreeing to hold this event on our side of the border and I am fully confident that sooner rather than later we will come back to this border crossing to see it completely rebuilt according to European Union standards thanks to a project to facilitate transport in the Western Balkans that we are implementing under a World Bank funding. Thank you so much to everyone.