The Prime Minister of Montenegro Dritan Abazovic  confirmed that he will attend the next meeting of the “Open Balkan” initiative, which will be held in June in Ohrid, Northern Macedonia.

During an event in Podgorica, Abazovic said Montenegro had not joined the initiative, but had in the past participated in meetings as an observer.

“Personally, I think that any regional initiative that can accelerate European integration, not only of Montenegro but of the whole region, is something we have to accept. On the other hand, if someone wants to replace European integration, we are not interested. “But I have not yet heard a valid argument that the Open Balkans is not good for Montenegro,” Abazovic said.

“Another great opportunity to discuss bilateral issues with Dritan Abazovic during the World Economic Forum, but also to invite him once again to join us in the meeting of the ‘Open Balkans’ initiative in Ohrid,” Vucic wrote on Instagram.

The two leaders met in Davos, Switzerland where they are both participating in the 2022 edition of the World Economic Forum.

“Montenegro is making every effort to promote a policy of regional cooperation, reconciliation, coexistence and better economic cohesion in the Western Balkans. Relations with Serbia are a priority – we are ready for intensive cooperation in all areas of common interest,” Abazovic wrote on Twitter after the meeting.

The Open Balkan is an initiative launched in October 2019 by the leaders of Serbia, Albania and North Macedonia. It aimed to establish an area without barriers to the movement of goods, people, services and capital.

Kosovo, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, however, have refused to join, essentially arguing that the new initiative is redundant as it mimics in poor terms a more robust initiative under the Berlin Process, and that it would only keep each country and the whole region away from the EU.