The European Commission presented a new financial package for the Western Balkans of 14 investments in transport, energy, ecology, human capital and support to the private sector, with a total value of 2.1 billion euros.
As they pointed out, it is the fifth investment package as part of the Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans, and all projects have been prepared in close cooperation with partners in the Western Balkans and international financial institutions with the aim of accelerating the European perspective for the region.
As reported, Oliver Varhelyi European Commissioner for Neighborhood and Enlargement in the European Commission, pointed out that this package is a new signal to partners in the Western Balkans that their future is in the European Union (EU), as well as that the gap in development continues to decrease.
”These projects will better connect the region internally and with the EU, help decarbonize economies and support the competitiveness of the private sector in the region. Now I invite our partners from the Western Balkans and international financial institutions to launch these projects as soon as possible so that citizens and businesses in the region can take advantage of these investments,” emphasized Varhelyi.
Projects on Corridor 5c, as part of the transport component, and for the rehabilitation of the water supply network in Sarajevo, as part of the ecological component, are planned for Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH).
Also, investments in clean energy are envisaged. through the financing of the hydropower plant construction project on the Drina River between Serbia and BiH.
The European Commission said that part of the funds from this amount will be grants, namely 528 million euros from the Third Component of the EU Pre-accession Assistance Instruments, additional donations from the member states and Norway, while the rest would be loans from international financial institutions and funds from the countries of the region that provide part of the participation in the projects.
The European Commission told that the EU is BiH’s biggest trade partner and that through the financial aid it provided, it showed that it is a true friend, Biznis Info reports.
E.Dz.
