Leaders of the Western Balkan countries have reaffirmed their commitment to utilizing the opportunities provided by the Growth Plan for the region — a major initiative backed by the European Union to boost integration and economic development.
This commitment came following the regional meeting held Tuesday in Skopje, where the EU Enlargement Commissioner, Marta Kos, met with the region’s leaders.
“After a year of progress on reforms and intensive cooperation in areas such as finance, transport, digital connectivity, and market integration, Commissioner Marta Kos and the leaders assessed the progress achieved so far. They also confirmed their determination to meet regularly to maintain political momentum in implementing the Plan,” read the statement from the European Commission, adding that the next meeting will be held in autumn.
Central to the discussion were 600 ambitious reforms that each state must fulfill in order to benefit from the €6 billion Growth Plan package. So far, four countries — Albania, North Macedonia, Montenegro, and Serbia — have received the first round of pre-financing funds.
Meanwhile, Kosovo remains behind in the process. The European Commission has urged the Kosovar authorities to accelerate procedures for enacting the Agreement on the Growth Plan Instrument and the Loan Agreement — a process that requires the constitution of the Kosovo Assembly.
If Kosovo completes the necessary steps, it is expected to receive around €60 million in funding.
