On Monday in Skopje, representatives from North Macedonia, Serbia, and Albania officially signed protocols facilitating unrestricted entry into each other’s labor markets. The Minister of Information Society and Administration, Azir Aliu, joined counterparts from Serbia and Albania to endorse the Protocol on Interconnection of Schemes for Electronic Identification of the Citizens of the Western Balkans. Simultaneously, Vedat Osmani, the head of the Employment Agency, and counterparts from Serbia and Albania inked the inaugural Protocol on the Implementation of Conditions for Free Access to the Labor Market in the Western Balkans.

These protocols mark the conclusion of essential legal procedures, paving the way for the imminent implementation of the measure. The remaining steps involve final technical testing and harmonization within the electronic service systems of the three nations. It is anticipated that citizens will gain unrestricted access to the labor markets of North Macedonia, Serbia, and Albania by March 2024.

The signing of these protocols signifies a reciprocal legal commitment among the three countries to facilitate free access to each other’s labor markets.