This study describes the support and participation of the residents in Saranda and Ksamil (Albania) in the planning and development process of tourism as a key element for the sustainable management of tourism resources (Ahmeti et al., 2019). The purpose of this study is the analysis of residents’ perceptions of the governance and development of sustainable tourism. To evaluate the structural relationship between the variables, the Likert scale, and the nominal measure were used, and the exogenous variables were considered as predictors for the endogenous variable. This study found the independent variable to have a significant impact on the residents’ behavior (95% level of significance), so we can say that the attitudes of the community about the environment affect community support for sustainable tourism development in their area. This area gets direct and sharpest visible impacts so far, from tourist development. There is an attractive landscape for tourists, and it is at the core of the debates on sustainable tourism development planning. The results of this study will present to the local government in Saranda to see that the attitudes of the residents towards the environment and nature are in harmony with nature.

This paper aims to present the main goals that the "Open Balkans" initiative aims to achieve, for regional cooperation, the first advantages and shortcomings from a civic perspective. The initiative system for regional cooperation is the free movement of women, without stopping at border crossings between Albania, Serbia and Northern Macedonia, the establishment of an illegal system for inter-company transfers, freedom other than the recognition of professional qualifications, freedom of goods and services . As part of this initiative, the EU member state, according to the media, is divided into two camps, congratulating this initiative, but also assessing it as a copy of the existing Berlin process. An objective of the study is to highlight its conclusion therefore, the benefits that make this country, their perceptions regarding the EU membership process. The guiding principle of the paper is that coordinating the initiative with intent for the region and not the individual country to have initiatives that want a faster, smoother communication of goods and others that are related to others.   Received: 19 September 2022 / Accepted: 23 October 2022 / Published: 30 November 2022

This paper aims to highlight the importance of regional cooperation in the Western Balkan countries and the difficulties on the path to European Union integration. The objectives of the study are to emphasize the advantages of regional collaboration; the aspiration of the Western Balkan nations to join the EU as a catalyst for cooperation by opening up fresh avenues for political, social, and economic advancement; initiatives, processes, and agreements are undertaken under the auspices of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the European Commission for co-operation between them and preparation for EU integration; as well as obstacles and challenges to effective regional cooperation in the Western Balkans. The research method is based on Desk research and includes the study of literature, analysis, and monitoring conducted by independent institutions and bodies on regional cooperation and integration and integration into the European Union. Membership in the European Union as a common goal of the Western Balkan countries has promoted the whole Region for economic, social progress, and regional stability. Greater economic cooperation between the countries of the Western Balkans could be one of the main sources of economic growth in the coming years. The methods of regional cooperation have been the subject of frequent criticism by the governments of individual countries, which considered them arbitrary and unrelated to their reality. The situation created after the Russian attack on Ukraine has made all countries, regions, and international structures re-evaluate the aspects of economic development, political, social, local, regional, and global security.   Received: 26 September 2022 / Accepted: 29 November 2022 / Published: 20 December 2022

COVID-19 has had a significant impact on global trade costs (WTO, 2021). Predicting, and managing risks is a necessary and difficult task for policymakers thus to minimize the negative effects coming from these unexpected incoming shocks. Natural disasters, health crisis and political conflicts over the recent decade, are pushing more pressure to developing countries to re-evaluate their trade partners in the international cooperation, as a way to prevent the direct impact of a probable shock on trade. The early stages of the pandemic exposed also how reliant Western Balkans had become on relatively few global producers of critical medical supplies, prompting widespread calls for greater supply chain diversification. This study attempts to answer the question: Did the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on regional trade policies revealed an increase or decrease of economic resilience? Travel restrictions and border closures, which were an important part of the initial policy response to the pandemic, disrupted freight transport, business travel and the supply of services that rely on the presence of individuals abroad. Trade facilitation measures taken at the border made it possible for supply chains to continue delivering and have been critical during the COVID-19 crisis. GDP recovery in the last year has been faster in economies with strong pre-pandemic trade ties to countries with fewer COVID-19 cases. In the post COVID-19 area, the Western Balkan countries are recommended to make sustainability and resilience a baseline requirement for every trade and investment decision.   Received: 10 September 2022 / Accepted: 21 October 2022 / Published: 30 November 2022

This study aims to examine the support of the community in the area of Saranda and Ksamil for sustainable tourism, as one of the most important industries on which the growth of its well-being is based. The reasoning focuses on the sociological tradition