European Commission Commissioner for Neighborhood and Enlargement Oliver Varhelyi said today in Tirana that the countries of the Western Balkans must be integrated into the European Union, and added that the Plan for Economic Growth in the Western Balkans is an ambitious plan that can enable the doubling of the six Balkan economies.
“The societies of the Western Balkans must be integrated into the EU. The EU must offer all the benefits of membership, and this is our idea, which comes with a growth plan. It is an ambitious plan. The region will have to move quickly to complete the reforms. You must apply EU rules and you can become part of the European market even before you become a member of the EU,” Varhelyi said at the beginning of the regional summit for the Growth Plan being held in Tirana and hosted by Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama.
The leaders of the Western Balkans gathered today in Tirana for a summit dedicated to the European integration of the region and the implementation of the Growth Plan for the Western Balkans. The chairman of the Council of Ministers of BiH Borjana Krišto, the President of Serbia Aleksandar Vučić, the Prime Minister of North Macedonia Talat Xhaferi are also participating in the summit.
“We are at the beginning of very radical, but also very fast changes in the Western Balkans,” said Varhely.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić said that the Growth Plan for the Western Balkans will enable these countries to additionally benefit from closer cooperation within the region itself and with the European Union.
“This brings us closer to a large market of over 400 million consumers, with access to a greater number of suppliers of goods and services, lower production costs and simpler trading methods,” wrote Vučić on Instagram.
Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti will address the participants of the summit via video link, as he is on an official visit to Ireland, where he said at the Royal University of Ireland that “the security of Kosovo is not only a national priority, but also a European one”.
The European Union is in favor of a plan for economic growth in the countries of the Western Balkans from 2024-27. predicted six billion euros, and is based on four pillars.
The first pillar is “strengthening economic integration in the EU single market”, which will depend on the adaptation of the countries of the region to the rules of the single market and, in parallel, the opening of their market in relevant sectors towards neighboring countries.
The second pillar of this plan is “strengthening economic integration within the Western Balkans through a common regional market”, and the third pillar of the plan is “acceleration of fundamental reforms”, which also means the rule of law that helps attract foreign direct investment and strengthens regional stability.
The fourth pillar of the European Commission’s new plan for economic growth in the Western Balkans is “an increase in financial aid to support reforms”, which includes a proposal for aid of six billion euros, reminds Radio Free Europe.
