(ANSA) - BELGRADE, APRIL 4 - A regional roaming agreement, which will allow a significant reduction in tariffs in the six countries of the Western Balkans (Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Northern Macedonia, Albania, Kosovo) starting in July, was signed in Belgrade today, on the sidelines of the second regional digital Summit in the Serbian capital.

From July 1, 2019, the roaming costs will be reduced by 27%, whereas from July 1, 2021, the total abolition of roaming in all the Western Balkan countries is expected. This agreement, said EU commissioner for society and digital economy Mariya Gabriel, who attended the summit, is the ''demonstration of a strong will to implement a courageous digital transformation at the regional level''.

''This deal is a clear sign of regional collaboration with a view to European prospect'', the European Commissioner added.

According to Gabriel, the digital agenda for the Western Balkans is not just a declaration written on paper but has tangible and visible effects. The commissioner then urged the economies of the region to join the European initiatives to strengthen and make credible the prospects for European integration of the Western Balkans. According to the president of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce Marko Cadez, the signing of this agreement is an important event in the history of roaming. ''We will no longer speak the language of intolerance but we will build the future together'', he added. (ANSA).