The new European Union Development Plan for the countries of the Western Balkans will promote the doubling of the economic development of these countries within ten years.

This was confirmed today by Oliver Varhelyi, the EU Commissioner for Enlargement, at the opening of the summit of the Balkan countries in Tirana and the European Union, held in Tirana on Thursday.

“Actually, as a plan, it is an ambitious plan. We have half the time available to implement it. It was supposed to continue until 2027, but we have full confidence in all countries that you will be able to get the benefits of this plan. This plan, which has the potential to contribute to doubling the economies of the Western Balkans in the next ten years. So doubling the development of your economies, since the gap in the development of your countries is already considerable, we are talking about countries that have 50% or 30% of the development of the average development of EU countries, at the end of this development plan will have reached 100% of this development and those countries that are next will already reach 60% of this development compared to the EU average,” emphasized Varhelyi.

“So what you’re seeing right now ahead is much more than what we’ll be able to see. It is very clear from the words that the Prime Minister said, that all the countries of the region already have it in their hands and want the ownership of this plan. We need the region to move forward quickly. And if we want the region to move quickly, this means achieving results for those reforms that make this plan work. This plan will work if you follow EU rules. If you accept all these rules, you can become part of the single European market before becoming a full-fledged member of the EU,” Varhelyi announced.

In the end, he called on the international financial institutions to be quick in realizing the financing of this plan.

“The third part is a wish that I express to our financial institution partners, that in addition to 30 billion euros, we ask that you give us another 6 billion euros, which actually brings this to the level of structural funds of the EU for member countries. So 19% of those that will be offered in the region will be received until 2027. But these must become part of the economy, as it is based on the economies of these countries, of course. And not just for cultural heritage, for jobs, economic growth. This money will be achieved only if you as financial institutions are quick, that means, EBRD, IMF..etc, should speed up the work, more than what you have shown before. I believe that we are at the beginning of a radical and very fast change of the EU,” concluded Varhelyi.

The leaders of the region have gathered this Thursday in Tirana for the EU-Western Balkans summit focusing on the integration of the Western Balkans towards the European Union, as well as the implementation of the Growth Plan for the Western Balkans.

/m.ll/