Infrastructure Ministry State Secretary Jure Leben and officials from Albania, Montenegro, Croatia, Serbia and Macedonia pinpointed areas where cross-borders transport could be improved.

These areas will serve as the basis for a Ljubljana declaration on obstacle-free transport as part of the Ten-T network in the Western Balkans.

The declaration will define procedures, documentation and conditions for transporting goods, which will in turn facilitate the elimination of the biggest obstacles to economic development and cooperation in the region.

The declaration is scheduled to be signed at the Ten-T Days, which the European Commission will host for Western Balkan ministers in Ljubljana in April.

Infrastructure Minister Peter Gašperšič said today that Slovenia initiated the meeting to tackle obstacles for transport across borders in the Western Balkans at the business Summit 100 in October last year.

Meanwhile, Leben pinpointed some of the major obstacles for transport, including protracted customs procedures. "This causes huge business costs and hinders economic cooperation in the region," he was quoted as saying in the ministry's press release.