Brnabic: There is no formal "Western Balkans QUAD" initiative

BELGRADE - Serbian PM Ana Brnabic said on Friday there was no formal "Western Balkans QUAD" initiative involving the so-called Kosovo, and noted that Serbia had no outstanding issues with North Macedonia.

At a press conference with North Macedonian PM Dimitar Kovacevski in Belgrade, Brnabic was responding to a question about the "Western Balkans QUAD – 100% alignment with EU Common Foreign Security Policy" initiative, launched on March 29 by North Macedonian FM Bujar Osmani with representatives of Albania, the so-called Kosovo and Montenegro.

"As far as the 'QUAD' is concerned, there is nothing to it, it is not a formal initiative, a formal mechanism or a formal process... There is nothing formal I could declare a position on. We have no outstanding issues with North Macedonia, Macedonians are our brothers and friends. That is all I have to say about that," Brnabic said.

Kovacevski said the initiative was a result of an informal meeting in Skopje.

"It was an informal meeting of four states that have 100 pct foreign policy alignment with the EU. The effects of foreign policy alignment with the EU foreign policy were discussed at it. It is not some kind of a serious platform that has memorandums on cooperation or agreements signed. The holding of the meeting alone has no effect whatsoever," Kovacevski said.

He added that, on the other hand, the Open Balkan was an initiative of the governments of Serbia, North Macedonia and Albania that had already produced around 15 agreements, documents and memorandums facilitating trade and other exchange.

"The exchange of educational curricula will be boosted soon... All that confirms the necessity of a regional initiative such as the Open Balkan. I know the Open Balkan has its opponents, but the results we have achieved by boosting economic cooperation will be the biggest motivation to opponents to join and support the Open Balkan initiative," Kovacevski noted.