Regional cooperation, the integration of Western Balkan countries into the European Union, and good governance are of critical importance for the development and prosperity of the Adriatic-Ionian region. This message was conveyed at the Ninth Annual Forum of the EU Strategy for the Adriatic-Ionian Region (EUSAIR), held on May 15 and 16 in Šibenik.
The Montenegrin delegation at the Forum was led by Bojan Božović, State Secretary in the Ministry of European Affairs, who stated that Montenegro has received significant support for infrastructure projects thanks to cooperation within EUSAIR. This support has enabled the country to achieve better regional connectivity, improved biodiversity protection, the development of sustainable tourism, and enhanced governance.
“EUSAIR provides Montenegro with the opportunity to foster good neighborly relations, strengthen its governance capacities, and access EU funds more easily for projects aligned with EU goals and priorities. The ‘Blue Growth’ pillar, which Montenegro coordinates with Greece, is particularly significant for us, as it strengthens the blue economy and enhances biodiversity protection,” Božović said during a high-level panel. He added that for Montenegro and other candidate countries, the implementation of the recently adopted Growth Plan for the Western Balkans will be especially important in the coming period.
Before the start of the forum, ministers and high-ranking officials from the Adriatic-Ionian region adopted the Šibenik Declaration. The Declaration emphasizes strong commitment to activities at regional, national, cross-border, and international levels concerning the development of the Adriatic-Ionian region. It also calls on European institutions, the countries covered by the strategy, and other stakeholders to strengthen their commitment to realizing successful macro-regional projects with the necessary political support, guaranteed funding, and recognized added value.
Organized under the Croatian presidency of the Strategy with the motto “Shaping the Future of EUSAIR,” the Ninth EUSAIR Forum gathered representatives from 10 Adriatic-Ionian countries to exchange views and experiences on regional cooperation and to develop a vision for this macro-region beyond 2027.
EUSAIR, one of the four EU macro-regional strategies, is a platform supporting the socio-economic development of the Adriatic-Ionian region through cooperation between EU member states and EU candidate countries. The strategy includes ten countries: four EU member states (Greece, Croatia, Italy, and Slovenia), five candidate countries (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia, and North Macedonia), and San Marino.
