The Minister of Finance, Ervin Mete, participated in the meeting of the Ministers of Finance and European Affairs of the Western Balkans “One region, common vision”, organized in Kotor, Montenegro. In this meeting, which was held one day before the Summit of Regional Leaders, the Growth Plan and concrete measures aimed at accelerating the economic convergence of the region with the European Union were discussed.

Minister Mete, in his speech, said that the process of approving the Growth Plan within the EU has moved at a fast pace and that it will now contribute to speeding up reforms and increasing convergence between the countries of the Western Balkans and the EU.

“The Growth Plan has created a moment of reforms. We are already in the stage of final agreement on the measures of this Plan and the financial instruments related to it are expected to pass to the Parliament within the summer.”

The minister emphasized that Albania is at an advanced stage in terms of membership in the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA), where it is among the first countries in the region that has already sent the pre-application and is preparing to apply officially in June. Also, Minister Mete appreciated the opportunities offered by the EU through the Growth Plan, where the citizens of the Western Balkan countries are expected to benefit from a series of facilities and concrete measures, before they become members of the EU.

The General Director of the EC Enlargement Directorate, Gert Jan Koopman, praised the progress made by our country and other countries of the Western Balkans in the integration process, while emphasizing that the Growth Plan includes a set of ambitious and challenging reforms for the region. He encouraged the countries of the Western Balkans to continue with the high pace of reforms, emphasizing once again the support of the Commission in the integration process.

Present at this meeting was the Minister of State and Chief Negotiator Mrs. Majlinda Dhuka, who focused on the progress made by our country in the process of integration and reforms that are intended to be undertaken within the Growth Plan.

At the meeting of the Ministers of European Affairs and Finance of the Western Balkans in Kotor, the Trade and Transport Facilitation Program 2.0 was also discussed, an initiative that is seen as a continuation and further improvement of the first Phase of the Program implemented by the World Bank. as well as for other cooperation issues of common interest for the countries of the Western Balkans.