British Minister of Foreign Affairs Boris Johnson attended the Summit of leaders of the Western Balkans in Trieste.
It is the continuation of British efforts to help the region in the process of reforms, stabilization and reaching the prosperity.
As stated on the official website, Johnson will urge the region and its friends to step up efforts towards developing the Balkans into a “beacon of democracy and economic growth”.
“We want to see the Western Balkans as a stable, secure and prosperous region, succeeding in Europe. The UK is unfailingly committed to working together with our friends and allies to make the Western Balkans a beacon of democracy and economic growth. I am proud that the UK will host the Western Balkans Summit in 2018. This is a firm demonstration of our support for much-needed reform to improve the region’s security, boost the economy, and to combat challenges such as illegal drugs and human trafficking, which pose a threat to all of us whether in the Western Balkans or the UK,” stated Johnson.
Great Britain will invest more than 20 million GBP in the improvement of the rule of law and fight against illegal drugs and human trafficking this year. Moreover, part of the money will be invested in the implementation of reforms for improvement of the business environment and the fight against corruption. The summit that begins in Trieste is the fourth summit in a series that forms the Berlin Process with the aim of boosting regional and intra-regional cooperation, and it gathers prime ministers, ministers of foreign affairs and economy of six Western Balkan countries. Representatives of the EU, Germany, Austria, France, Slovenia, Italy, Croatia and Great Britain will take part in the summit.
(Source: klix.ba)
