The Minister of Finance and Economy, Mr. Ervin Mete, participated in the Ministerial “Strengthening the socio-economic convergence between the European Union and the Western Balkans for accelerated integration into the EU”, which took place in Skopje, North Macedonia.
The Ministerial presented the new Growth Plan for the Western Balkans, which includes EUR 6 billion in grants and loans and aims to provide pre-accession benefits to the Western Balkan countries, foster economic growth and accelerate socio-economic convergence between the Western Balkans and the EU.
The participants were the Ministers of Finance and Economy of the Western Balkans, the Chief Negotiators, the Director General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations in the EC, Mr. Gert Jan Koopman, and other representatives of the European Union, who discussed the possibilities to maximize the benefits from the new Growth Plan.
In his speech, Minister Ervin Mete, on behalf of the Albanian Government, thanked the European Union for the new Growth Plan as a support that comes at a critical moment for the region and Europe.
The Minister said that this support will serve as an impetus for the continuation of the reforms of the countries of the Western Balkans and the promotion of the instruments that are currently being implemented.
Despite the reforms that the Western Balkan countries are undertaking in terms of connectivity and the green agenda, Minister Mete said that the focus of further reforms should have a business-oriented approach. This, according to the Minister, in order to facilitate the way of doing business and improve the business climate, to enable access to the European Union market before integration takes place, to accelerate the integration process and the convergence of the countries of the Western Balkans with the countries of the EU.
On the other hand, Minister Mete emphasized that the Western Balkan countries should show that they are able to make the best use of the instruments offered by the new Growth Plan and strengthen their institutional absorption capacity.
The Minister of State and Chief Negotiator Majlinda Dhuka participated in the ministerial meeting and in her speech discussed the reforms related to the advancement of socio-economic convergence between the Western Balkan countries and the EU, while she considered the new Growth Plan as a key platform that will further advance the reform agenda. The Chief Negotiator said that Albania’s reform agenda is in line with the EU membership requirements and the new Growth Plan, while expressing her commitment to intensify efforts to accelerate the pace of national reforms.
The new Growth Plan for the Western Balkans is based on four main pillars, which aim to:
– Increase economic integration with the European Union’s Common Market, provided that the Western Balkans align themselves with the rules of the Single Market;
– Promote economic integration within the Western Balkans through the Common Regional Market, based on EU rules and standards, which could potentially increase their economies by 10%.
– Accelerate key reforms, including the Cluster of Essential Reforms, to support the Western Balkans on the road to EU membership, improving sustainable economic growth, including attracting foreign investment, and strengthening regional stability.
– Increase financial assistance to support reforms through a Reform and Growth Mechanism for the Western Balkans for the period 2024-2027.
Each Western Balkan partner country will be invited to prepare a reform agenda based on existing recommendations, including those from the annual enlargement package and the Economic Reform Programs (ERP).