TIRANA, November 21 – EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos says at the opening of the Growth Plan Summit in Tirana that a regional common market increases member economies by 10%. She speaks as Prime Minister Edi Rama and Western Balkan leaders attend the session.

She warns that stalled progress risks limiting access to the EU Single Market. At this point, she stresses that the agreed reforms remain difficult. Even so, she says they speed up EU negotiations and prepare regional economies for a market of 450 million people. In addition, she notes that these reforms enable treatment similar to that of EU member states and signal readiness for deeper integration.

Kos also reports that European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is impressed by the two investment conferences. From here, she says the work must continue to attract more sustainable EU investment and additional trading partners.

She then shifts to the region’s economic path. According to her, economic convergence with the EU must become a tangible reality. She adds that experience shows how progress toward accession draws more foreign investors, more European media attention, and greater public interest.

In conclusion, Kos calls for using the remaining two years to make the Growth Plan a genuine success. She says the plan aims to help the region advance and prepare for full EU membership.

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