Bosnia’s Foreign Trade and Economic Relations Minister, Mirko Sarovic, submitted a declaration named ‘Little Schengen’, aimed to improve the economic space by enabling the free movement of goods, people, capital and services throughout the region, to the government for adoption on Wednesday.

The declaration was recently launched by Serbia, Northern Macedonia and Albania and calls for the removal of border controls and other obstacles to free movement within the Western Balkans free-trade zone CEFTA by 2021.

The initiative also envisions the possibility of crossing the borders using only an ID card, the recognition of university diplomas among the participating countries and equal working opportunities among citizens in the region.

It is also meant to enable the smooth flow of goods without long stops at the borders, which is especially significant considering that, according to the World Bank, trucks spend about 26 million hours a year at border crossings within the Western Balkans.

Minister Sarovic's view is that the government, in Bosnia called the Council of Ministers, should support this initiative as soon as possible, with the assessment that its entry into force will strongly affect the economic growth of all countries in the region.