“If we had more common border crossing points and if they would work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, with the facilitation of phytosanitary and customs procedures, then we as a region would save 800 million Euros per year,” said Majlinda Bregu, The Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), at a press conference at the border crossing point between North Macedonia and Serbia.
“The RCC initiated the creation of green lanes during the pandemic-induced isolation together with the Secretariat of the Transport Community Treaty, CEFTA, the European Commission and the 6 governments of the Western Balkans that allowed goods and medicines to pass through the region and you should remember how worried we were all at first about this issue. We started by allowing the circulation of 2 thousand trucks a day, in queues for hours, even up to 20 hours a day staying at the border. You have to keep in mind that if a truck driver loses so much time waiting at the border, then he would spend 80% of his life at border crossings. This also has a direct impact on the economy, because for every minute that a truck driver loses being delayed, we lose 2 euros. Now make an account of how much we lose as a region “, added Bregu.
The conference was co-organized by the RCC, the Transport Community Secretariat, CEFTA and the Customs Administrations of North Macedonia and Serbia. In addition to Ms. Bregu, the press conference was chaired by Emir Djikic, Director of the CEFTA Secretariat, Matej Zakonojsek, Director of the Permanent Secretariat of the Transport Community and customs representatives of North Macedonia and Serbia.

/ERvin Çali/