Six Balkan leaders approve of the Regional Economic Zone

The six Western Balkan leaders approved, today in Trieste, the multi-year action plan for an economic zone in the Western Balkans. The area creates opportunities for free circulation of goods, services, capital and highly qualified employment, making the region more attractive for investment and trade, accelerating adaptation with the EU, thus bringing prosperity to Western Balkan citizens.

The actions of this plan are designed to help the private sector exploit the possibilities of a market of 20 million. Actions are focused on:

1. Promoting further trade integration;
   2. Entering a dynamic regional investment space;
   3. Relief of regional mobility;
   4. Creating a digital integration agenda.

The Secretariat of the Council for Regional Co-operation (RCC) has been commissioned, along with CEFTA for the free trade zone, to repeatedly announce the Berlin Process Summit for progress achieved in actions defined in the plan for the economic zone.

We in the UK are proud to be entrusted by regional leaders and the EU to prepare this ambitious plan. It serves as an important stone to the Western Balkans to better integrate into the chains of European and global values, and faster integration with the rest of the continent “, said KBR Secretary General Goran Svilanovic.

“-six BP (Western Balkans) leaders expressed their full commitment to implementing the plan. This will provide significant impetus to EU accession paths based on individual merits, accelerated full compliance with the Copenhagen economic criteria and fostering greater economic potential. The plan is following commitments undertaken under the 2020 South East European Strategy and the Central European Free Trade Agreement. It is based on EU rules and principles as reflected in Stabilisation and Association Agreements “.

The BP leaders agreed that implementing an inclusive agenda would require committed commitment and strong co-ordination and partnership among authorities, existing regional organisations, the private sector, international organisations and donors active in relevant policy areas and Union.

Therefore, regional leaders have called for international organisations, IFIs- and donors working to support reforms. To that end, a conference dedicated to co-ordinating donors should be organised before the end of 2017.