EU plan for Western Balkans to aid economic recovery, says EU Commissioner Várhelyi

The European Union’s (EU) Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans is meant to boost the economic development and recovery of North Macedonia and the entire region, EU Commissioner for Neighborhood and Enlargement Olivér Várhelyi said here on Wednesday.

Várhelyi spoke at a joint press conference with Prime Minister of North Macedonia Zoran Zaev during his one-day visit to Skopje, which is also the first stop on his tour of the Balkans.

Várhelyi presented the European Commission’s 2020 Report on North Macedonia and the Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans, one day after the Commission published its annual enlargement package and the economic plan.

According to the Commission, the EU Economic and Investment Plan sets out a substantial investment package, mobilizing up to nine billion euros (10.6 billion U.S. dollars) of funding for projects in the areas of transport, energy, green and digital transition, to create growth and jobs in the Western Balkans.

“We are ready to implement it on a fast track. We have chosen those flagship initiatives that not only demonstrate best what the common priorities are, but can also contribute quickly to changing the landscape of the region and the economy,” Várhelyi said.

Várhelyi confirmed the EU’s readiness to cooperate with the government of North Macedonia and called on the country’s institutions to deliver on the reforms.

“We need to see very quick and effective work on the ground when it comes to the rule of law, fighting corruption, and reforms related to the judiciary or the prosecutor’s office,” he said.

• Gruevski is hiding in Hungary, while North Macedonian court convicts him

Várhelyi said the aim of this plan is to connect all the major capitals in the region and to connect the region with the rest of the world “when it comes to broadband internet, digital basic infrastructure, to make the energy system much more reliable, reduce emissions and replace coal with gas.”

Zaev said that the EU Plan for the Western Balkans would provide a significant boost to his country’s energy projects and would improve transport and rail connectivity in the region. He said it represented a real motivation for the region to deliver even better results in the future.

Turning to the EU’s 2020 Report on North Macedonia, Zaev said his country was on the right track and will continue with the implementation of the already enacted laws and mechanisms. (1 euro = 1.18 U.S. dollars)

Source: Xinhua