From March, Kosovo and Albania will begin implementing the customs agreement. From March, the border crossing points Morinë - Vermice connecting Kosovo with Albania will have only one control checkpoint. Lulzim Rafuna, advisor to the Albanian prime minister for customs and tax on a statement to Radio Free Europe announced that the project for the modernization of the border crossing Morinë - Vërmicë is under construction.
"The border is foreseen to be inaugurated in January, but due to some additional work and requests from the European Union office in Tirana that has funded through the IPA project, we have also agreed to make some additional works in January, February including a part in March when the flow of goods is lower."
"This will be a very modern border, it will be a border that will have a single window of control, such as Customs in Kosovo, such as a border that will eliminate the expectations of our citizens and eliminate the long queues of goods to enter Kosovo or Albania," says Rafuna.He says that this customs point will be very much more advanced if, as Rafuna says, is compared with the work done now at that border point. The Government of Kosovo and Albania, adds Rafuna, are working on the harmonization of markets and eliminating bureaucratic procedures and unnecessary documentation required of businesses in Kosovo and vice versa.
"Here will be a complete harmonization, will be a very well prepared and approved plan. Here, they demand from the business community to be more aggressive in their demands put forward by the two governments, to seek as much ease as possible for them," he says.
To have easier economic cooperation between Kosovo and Albania, billions of euros were invested in road infrastructure. In addition, some agreements have been signed between Kosovo and Albania on economic cooperation, but also in other areas. Also, the agreement for mutual promotion and mutual protection was signed. Business representatives in Kosovo say they support border modernization between Kosovo and Albania, according to the head of Kosovo Chamber of Commerce Safet Gërxhaliu.
"We, as a Chamber of Commerce support every step that eliminates barriers, every step that promotes values and every step that affects a modern economy of economic cooperation between Kosovo and Albania, but should be understood that these problems are not solved by a politicized marketing or with a politicization expressed through a media campaign. We need a substance and we must have economic cooperation," Gërxhaliu told to Radio Free Europe.