TIRANA – The Regional Youth Cooperation Office welcomes the initiative announced in Novi Sad, Serbia today by the Prime Ministers of Albania and North Macedonia and President of Serbia. The trilateral meeting tackled the freedom of movement of people, goods, capital and services in the Western Balkans.
As reconciliation, mobility and exchange are at the core of RYCO’s work, we commend the efforts to change the political and legislative environment for young people to engage in mobility and exchange with each other across the Western Balkans region. Moreover, we invite the other Western Balkan governments to take part in this initiative, especially the governments of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo* among which a visa regime is not serving the interest of young people to meet and cooperate thus preventing them from creating a better region.
RYCO strongly believes that young people should be creating a culture of mobility, intercultural exchange, and reconciliation. Moreover, they should be active contributors to democratic development, social and economic prosperity, and European integration in an increasingly open Western Balkans region. Finally, Contracting Parties in the Western Balkans should be providing proactive support to youth exchange and youth engagement within the Contracting Parties, and across the region.
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*This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo Declaration of Independence