The critical and timely nature of Greece’s initiative for the expansion of the “Green Lanes” between the Western Balkans and their neighbouring EU member states was underlined by the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs for Economic Diplomacy and Openness, Kostas Fragogiannis, addressing the Thessaloniki Connectivity Forum, which took place in Thessaloniki, on Thursday, July 7.
“Green Lanes” are an EU initiative, adopted at the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, to ensure the smooth and efficient flow of essential goods between EU member states. The initiative was subsequently implemented within the Western Balkans and is now being expanded between the Western Balkans and their neighbouring EU member states, with Greece playing a pivotal role in this expansion.
The promotion of the connectivity between Western Balkans countries, as well as between the Western Balkans with EU member states is the aim of the Thessaloniki Connectivity Forum, organised by the General Secretariat for International Economic Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with the participation of the Directors of the Permanent Secretariats of the Transport Community and the Central European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA), as well as representatives of the Western Balkan partners, Moldova and neighbouring EU member states.
During the Forum, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Independent Authority for Public Revenue and the Customs Service of North Macedonia, with Deputy Minister Fragogiannis noting: “After less than a year of fruitful cooperation, a Memorandum of Understanding for the electronic exchange of data between the Independent Authority for Public Revenue and the Customs Administration of the Republic of North Macedonia was signed here today. This is a major achievement, which we warmly welcome as a tangible result and a key step towards the simplification and harmonisation of customs procedures. We look forward to the signing of further agreements between CEFTA members, EU member states and Western Balkan partners to promote transport connectivity”.
Underlining the timely nature of the initiative, Mr. Fragogiannis pointed out that the current energy and the looming food crisis, as a result of the war in Ukraine, make urgent and imperative the need to create alternative and resilient supply routes, using all means of transport, throughout Europe. “We are pursuing the interconnection of vertical road and rail axes with Greek strategic ports, as well as the development of electromobility and the design of multimodal electric infrastructure”, the Deputy Minister pointedly said.
The Secretary General for International Economic Affairs and Openness and President of Enterprise Greece, Ioannis Smyrlis, moderated a round table on connectivity as a factor of economic development in the Western Balkans, titled: “Enhancing connectivity within the Western Balkans and with the EU as a solid basis for economic growth”.
In his introductory remarks, the Secretary General emphasized the tangible results of the joint efforts of the Customs Administrations of Greece and North Macedonia and the significant support they received from the Permanent Secretariats of the Transport Community and the Central European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA). He cited as an example the signing of a MoU between AADE and the Customs Administration of North Macedonia for the exchange of electronic data to facilitate the implementation of “Green Lanes”, for the first time, at a border crossing point between an EU Member State and the Western Balkans.
The Secretary General also stressed the need for alternative routes for the movement of goods and referred to the European Commission’s “Solidarity Lanes” Action Plan to support Ukraine in the export of cereals. “The ports of Thessaloniki and Alexandroupolis are alternative routes and have the necessary infrastructure for combined transport and management of grain shipments. Also, Greek ship-owners have the potential to make a substantial contribution to the transportation of grain once the safety of navigation in the Black Sea is restored” he said, while stressing that any possible scheme of cooperation in this direction is welcome.