Prime Minister of Montenegro Milojko Spajić, Minister of European Affairs Maida Gorčević and Minister of Finance Novica Vuković participated in the conference “Growth Plan for the Western Balkans and faster integration into the EU”, which took place today in Skopje and was hosted by Macedonian Prime Minister Dmitar Kovačevski.
The leaders of the countries of the region and representatives of the European Union and the United States of America discussed the Growth Plan for the Western Balkans, which includes six billion euros in grants and loans to accelerate socioeconomic convergence with the European Union. In other words, two billion in grants and four billion in soft loans are guaranteed by the EU.
Prime Minister Spajić pointed out that this was a very important meeting where the countries of the region defined the further course of action in the process of European integration. He assessed that integration into the internal market is an important opportunity that the Western Balkans countries must seize.
“For Montenegro, membership is not a formal category, but a need for deep economic integration that will provide our citizens with a standard of living in accordance with the developed countries of Europe. In this sense, as a newly formed government, our priority is clear – that economic integration becomes a reality, that the quality of life becomes better, and that membership in the European Union is certain,” he said and added, “In Montenegro, we believe that our strength comes from our unity. We are sure that the same principle can be applied to the region. By creating a functional and connected regional market, we are opening up countless opportunities for trade, investment and economic development,” said the Prime Minister.
He said that the Growth Plan is an instrument that will help achieve those goals, and said that Montenegro is fully committed to the implementation of the Plan related to sustainable development, innovation and inclusive economic policies. This, as he pointed out, involves strengthening the legal framework, investing in infrastructure and encouraging the culture of entrepreneurship.
During the speech, the Prime Minister reminded that the Government of Montenegro prepared the Reform Agenda at the end of last year, on which they will additionally work with the European Commission.
“With very short deadlines, but with the full commitment of our administration, I believe that we have created solid foundations for reform measures on the basis of which we will further improve policies and define the final version of the document”, Spajis said.
He pointed out that priority areas have been identified: Business environment and private sector development; Digital and green energy transitions; Development of human resources and strengthening of the Rule of law.
“Relying on the pillars of the Growth Plan, the common market, integration into the single European market, sustainable development and innovation, I am assured that through cooperation, determination and commitment to sustainable development we can build a brighter future for our region,” said the Prime Minister.
In addition to Prime Minister Milojko Spajić, the event was attended by Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti, while the Chairperson of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Borjana Krišto, who spoke via video message.
The meeting was also attended by the director general of the European Commission’s Directorate for Neighborhood and Enlargement Negotiations, Gert Jan Koopman, and the US Assistant Secretary of State for Europe and Eurasia, James O’Brien.
At the meeting, a joint declaration was also adopted.
Note:
In November 2023, the European Commission adopted a new Growth Plan for the Western Balkans to bring some of the benefits of membership to the region before accession, strengthening economic growth and accelerating much-needed socioeconomic rapprochement. The intention is to enable partner countries to intensify reforms and investments to significantly accelerate the process of expansion and growth of their economies.
For this purpose, a new Instrument for Reforms and Growth for the Western Balkans worth six billion euros has been proposed for the period from 2024-2027. Payments will be made only when the agreed reforms are implemented.
