Speech of Prime Minister Rama at the inauguration of a common customs office Albania-Kosovo:

Dear Prime Minister,

Dear Ministers,

Ladies and gentlemen, representatives of both customs administrations!

Today is a special day because we take an important step towards the customs union. It is a special day because we end a chapter of delays and obstacles for the enterprise that works on both sides of the border and who needs this service point not to have delays, but to have it as a transit point without any bureaucracy and time loss. Starting from today it will not take two or more days to cross merchandise from one side to another, but only 5 minutes. Since we started this journey beyond borders for the national and European union with Kosovo, our conviction has been that borders are joining points and not division lines, a space of possibilities and not opportunities for increased obstacles.

This belief and the steps made have faced many difficulties and encountered many skeptics who, due to the constraints that were not overcome over the years of nationalist Turbo-folk policy, would continuously recall us that between saying and doing something there is sea, for them impossible to cross, for us, not only possible, but now surmountable step by step. Many might think that this conviction of ours was more of a patriotic rhetoric than a public policy, or an old policy to gather sympathy and votes from patriots than a deep reform and a plan to erase the dividing lines and strengthen the union points.

And here we are today, in one of those days when we materialize another piece of the mosaic that we have identified in the meeting between the two governments in Prizren, on the day when the transit of goods between Albania and Kosovo is no longer an international transit, as it used to be considered until yesterday, but it is the union of the customs office, a single customs office for both our countries. It is not a double cost of time and money, it is not two types of guarantees and procedures, but it is a single procedure in a digital data network, which joints in one way both systems of the same language.

Starting from today, for all goods coming in Durres and going to Kosovo, the port of Durres will be the only point of control and procedures carried out there will suffice for them to arrive in Pristina, Prizren, Gjakova and elsewhere, without having to stop here again and restart procedures.

This is an ongoing process, because we are working together with the Government of Kosovo in the field of insurance, so that the guarantee given to the customs territory of Albania will be valid on the donor territory of Kosovo and vice versa. The contract to expand the access road in the customs of Morina was stipulated on February 2. This contract will remove all obstacles not only for the enterprise, but also for those tens of thousands of Albanians of Kosovo who cross this point, especially during summer. Moreover, as I have communicated with my friend and colleague Isa Mustafa, a totally new regime will be applied in this point this summer, because there will be no more one-by-one checks to cars and other vehicles of Kosovo families coming to Albania to spend the holidays. Instead, there will be a random and very relaxed check so that it will be a crossing point and not a checkpoint. On the other hand, with the support of the European Union, now we are ready to build the common customs Morine-Vermice.

Furthermore, in the area of economic cooperation, the agreement for the avoidance of double taxation and prevention of fiscal evasion, as well as the removal of VAT on books is already in force.

The joint Declaration of the first meeting of governments in Prizren, last January, a meeting that will be held again at the end of March this year, was based on several pillars such as cooperation in the field of foreign policy and security, cooperation in infrastructure development, the development of common commercial space and coordination to build a unique systems in education and culture.

Projects pertaining to these agreements are being implemented, even before the March meeting of our two governments. They put our second meeting in a much more advanced position than the first meeting. On the other hand, even with a number of advantages created in the period between the two meetings, both in relation to results already achieved and in terms of an experience that has shown us where we can go faster.

Frankly speaking, since the independence of Kosovo citizens of the Albanian space, media, families, youth, artists have known how to be coordinated much better and much more rapidly and efficiently than the governments. But now, their natural coordination is empowered naturally by a joint governmental and institutional journey for the development, modernization and equal opportunities in Albania and Kosovo and beyond political and cultural boundaries throughout the region.

Today I have the opportunity to greet the agreement between Kosovo and Serbia on the management of the justice system in northern Kosovo. In addition to the importance it has for the normalization of citizens’ lives in the area, this agreement is in my view a very meaningful symbol of the new era of the Balkans in Brussels, but also of the new policy that the government of Kosovo and the political forces of Kosovo have been able to advance and embody with a truly exemplary courage. Governments and political forces in Serbia must and can learn from this courage.

Underlining the importance of this symbol, which is not merely a symbol but which becomes a symbol because of what embodies, I would like to recall today that the generosity of Kosovo and the European foresight of Kosovo’s leadership in assuring justice and rights to the Serbian minority must become the norm and an obligation for Serbia as well, in applying the same standards to the Albanian minority in the Presevo Valley and to other minorities. Is a priority for us and for the European future of the entire region to provide even in this area full legal security and equal representation in court. And in this regard, Kosovo is an example that radiates throughout the Balkans, not only for what Kosovo is doing, but also because this Kosovo that today is doing so much in this direction comes from a painful history from which has not pulled out the weapons of revenge, but has pulled out tremendous energies of peace, love and solidarity.

On the other hand, we want to have a similar model of European standard, as the one we are inaugurating here in Morine, also in other parts and in relation to others. This is another of our convictions, which would show the same determination, because common journey includes all Albanian territory in the Balkans, a region in which our destinies are inextricably linked, and therefore such should be the standards and steps towards the European Union.

Today, we are proud as Albanians and thanks to Kosovo in the first place, to talk to neighbors not just with the language of ideals, ideas and principles, but also with the language of facts, not by asking to neighbors something that we ourselves cannot guarantee, but rather, by asking them to become like us, guarantors of all those rights and freedoms to which we are all together concretely and deeply engaged. It is not the projects, the needs, the conviction of fulfillment in many areas, it is neither the vision nor the leadership, but it is the determination that brings the success of cooperation, it is said about the determination that conceived and implemented the European Union. A determination that I strongly believe we not only have, but step by step, just like today, it provides us a common and successful journey where we show that our desires and aspirations are politically and institutionally connected.

Wishing with all my heart a strong, successful cooperation in the service of citizens, entrepreneurs and families who use this point, to both customs administrations, I am also convinced that today we placed another very heavy stone in the common foundation of the joint future of Albanians. Our way is right. Our beliefs are also right. Our vision is clear and above all, our common determination is tested and every day proves that it is at the service of the road, creed and our great goal, the great dream of all Albanians to live together, in the common space where a nation operates through two states.

Thank you once again and let me conclude with a special thanks to the Prime Minister, who is here today and with whom we will be back in Tirana, at the next meeting of the two governments, to ensure that together we will make everything reality, what Albanians on both sides of the borders rightfully ask us persistently, every day. There is no time to lose and this is our time, this is the time of Albanians.

Thank you!

 

Prime Minister of Kosovo Isa Mustafa: 

It is a particular pleasure for me today, to be here together and inaugurate a mutual agreement, which was reached at the joint meeting of our two governments in Prizren. I hope that we will keep on inaugurating such agreements as a result of our cooperation, as a result of our very strong ties which have built and will build in the future, because our economic cooperation together with the cooperation in other areas will be an expression of our relationship, an expression of non-existence of borders between Kosovo and Albania and an expression of our targets for joining the EU, so that every our mutual interest be achieved as part of the great European family.

It is a great pleasure for me today to inaugurate here this transit, from which people of both our countries will benefit. Primarily the business will have more efficiency in the field of taxation and customs, because customs clearance procedures will become more efficient. In addition, a greater result is being achieved in terms of combating tax evasion and of the overall profitability of efficient procedures in the area of fiscal policy, which we are very interested in implementing jointly.

Directors of both customs agencies found that the purpose of this is not only to shorten the time of clearance procedures, but the goal is to reduce the cost, from which businesses will benefit directly, but also citizens, because they will carry goods and will consume them with lower prices.

We are interested to continue further with the cooperation, and we are interested in improving customs procedures for the benefit primarily of citizens and for businesses on both sides. We want every citizen to have the best, which we will achieve as a result of the common good.

Thank you very much for being here! I wish success to our administrations, services, customs departments, as we have established them in both our countries, but we think we will soon name them in the same way.

Thank you and congratulations!

 

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Today, at the customs of Morine, the “Joint Transit Corridor Albania-Kosovo” was inaugurated with the presence of the two Prime Ministers of Albania and Kosovo, Edi Rama Isa Mustafa. In addition, the first application in this transit was attended by the Minister of Finance of Albania Shkelqim Cani, the Finance Minister of Kosovo Avdullah Hoti, Director General of Customs Elisa Spiropali and Director General of the Customs of Kosovo, Lulzim Rafuna.

All transits opened in the customs of the Albanian territory will be closed at the destination customs in Kosovo, thus avoiding stops at the border for redoing procedures. Vice versa, the transits opened in the customs territory of Kosovo will be closed in the Albanian destination customs, as if there were not two but one customs agency. A procedure that normally would take up to two or more days because of financial guarantees, today in the customs of Morine and Vermice will take no more than 5 minutes.

This affects all businesses operating between Albania and Kosovo, and brings a huge impact on trade between the two countries. This innovation in the field of trade exchanges between Albania and Kosovo accelerates the circulation of goods, shortens the time of their stay at customs and reduces costs for business.

The Joint Transit with Kosovo brings flexibility and speeds up trade between the two countries.

Director General of Customs of Kosovo, Lulzim Rafuna said: “This is a procedure which helps our businesses, but it helps also the two administrations and facilitates the circulation of goods. Here we have a truck which departed from the Port of Durres” – Rafuna said.

Director General of Customs of Albania, Spiropali said: “Behind the will of the Government of Albania and Kosovo to bring the two countries markets closer by aligning joint customs procedures is the intense work of the Customs of Albania and Kosovo to successfully implement the Joint Transit. Joint Transit means less cost for business, less time spent at the customs and application of joint procedures” – Spiropali said.