Flash News

"Arsonist" arrested for repeatedly setting fires in Vlora (NAME)

Three cars collide in Tirana, one of them catches fire

He abused his minor daughter, this is a 36-year-old man in custody in Fier

Serious in Fier! Father sexually abuses his minor daughter

The phone found in prison is expected to be disassembled, Laert Haxhiu risks isolation in '41 biss'

E-TJERA

EU confirms support for the Western Balkans

Politiko 2025-07-01 10:50:45

EU confirms support for the Western Balkans

The meeting with EU Commissioner for Enlargement, Marta Kos, is attended by the Prime Ministers of North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, Serbia and Albania. Two panels will be held as part of the meeting. The first will be dedicated to the Western Balkans Growth Plan, while the second will be dedicated to specific mechanisms and support for the implementation of the Growth Plan.

What does the Growth Plan for the Western Balkans offer?

The Growth Plan foresees financial support of six billion euros, of which two billion are grants and four billion are soft loans provided by the EU for reforms and investments in areas such as energy, transport and digital transformation in order to increase prosperity and stability in the region.

The plan is based on four pillars: strengthening economic integration in the EU single market; strengthening economic integration within the Western Balkans through a regional common market; accelerating essential reforms and increasing financial assistance to support reforms.

Unblocking funds from the Growth Plan

The focus of the Skopje summit is on key reforms to “unlock” the disbursement of funds from the Growth Plan, which bring tangible benefits to citizens of EU candidate countries before their accession to the EU. All Western Balkan countries, except Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina, have received the first pre-financing funds from the Growth Plan.

The EU is providing funds for reforms and investments in areas such as energy, transport and digital transformation in the Western Balkans. One of the projects: the transmission line between Albania and North MacedoniaPhoto: Rashela Shehu/DW

New areas of cooperation such as consumer protection, tourism and the path towards a common market, which would accelerate the economic integration of the Western Balkans into the EU's common market, will also be discussed in Skopje.

After a meeting with EU Commissioner for Enlargement, Marta Kos, Prime Minister Hristijan Mickovski said: "I emphasized the government's strong determination to integrate into the EU, with dignity and through the implementation of significant reforms in the areas of the rule of law, economic development and digital transformation."

Commissioner Kos welcomed the Skopje government's reform agenda at the meeting and confirmed the European Commission's support for the region's progress on the European path./DW

Latest news