The first International wine fair “Wine Vision” opened its first edition in Belgrade, Serbia, on Thursday, an event organized under the auspices of the governments of Serbia, Albania and North Macedonia under the Open Balkan initiative.

Prime Minister Edi Rama, who was received by her Serbian counterpart Ana Brnabić upon his arrival in Belgrade airport, attended the opening ceremony of the Wine Vision fair together with the leaders of two other host countries, namely the President of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic and the Prime Minister of North Macedonia Dimitar Kovacevski, as well as other leaders of Open Balkan partner countries.

Prime Minister Rama delivered a speech at the opening ceremony of the first edition of the international wine fair Wine Vision.

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Before coming here, I was taking a look at the speech my team has written for me for this occasion and I decided against reading it, because it began with a sentence saying the first wine had been made in Albania in the Bronze Age. I do not know how true that is, but I do know we have wasted a lot of time trying to prove who is the oldest, who was the first to make something and who claims the right to live here, while we have all learned that no one will leave this region and go somewhere else because we will stay here for many centuries to come.

All our countries are here to stay, also when we are gone, for many years and centuries to come and our choice is very simple; how to stay all here in this place, being all together in the same neighbourhood of Europe, trying to make this neighbourhood more joyful, more liveable, more peaceful for all our people or by hurling stones at one another and setting one other on fire, as we have done for many, many years and centuries in the past.

A total of 22 Albanian producers are showcasing their products today, while vineyard areas are expanding by 10% each year and I am fully confident that this fair – the first international fair being held in Belgrade, while we are seeking to turn it into an yearly event taking place in every capital city of our countries – will encourage many other producers to take part in this event.

The value of the volume of agricultural exchanges between the three countries rose to over 100 million euros from around 60 million euros in one year only, and the potential is definitely much greater and these are just the initial steps towards a steady growth and exploitation of our potential.

Albanian exports to Serbia have increased by 30% the last year, and I am again referring to the agricultural exports and fertilizers%. The same goes for North Macedonia, as Albania’s agricultural exports to the neighbouring country are around 30%.

I would like to wholeheartedly thank all of those who contributed to this fair, because I know it has entailed huge efforts and hard work to deliver on the way up to this ceremony today. I know it hasn’t been easy at all for you to bring all these wine producers, who come from other leading international wine fairs and the fact they have agreed to take part and showcase their products in the Balkans is very encouraging for us and it should increasingly convince us all that Open Balkan initiative is much more than economy and trade and so much more than politics.

 Open Balkan is a product of peace that will be sustainable, a project of unity in peace with a vision for the future, so this small neighbourhood at the heart of Europe will no longer suffer from residues of the past but become a place for the future for our young people.

Thank you very much!