Rama: The EU needs the Western Balkans as much as we need it

This Tuesday is being held in the Euro-Balkan ministerial capital, where all the Ministers of Economy of the countries of the region and the EU are participating.

Present at this important meeting, Prime Minister Edi Rama said that the European Union's interest in the Western Balkans has grown significantly.

"We are already looking to get the fruits, because the tree has matured enough. I firmly believe that at this very defining moment for Europe in the values ??of the common community, the time has come to think outside the box, and this is exactly what we are trying to do with this summit with our great friends of the EU. Yesterday I had a rather exhaustive conversation with our friend from the French government, which 5 years ago would have been impossible. Things have changed, we see with great interest that in the EU there is a stronger conviction and they are more open about the importance that BP has for Europe."

He emphasized that the importance of this meeting lies in the EU's future plan for our region, in economic terms.

"We are here with prominent ministers and officials from the countries of the Western Balkans and from the EU to discuss the most essential topics of this process that includes the strengthening of our economies, including connections with the sphere of economic activities with the EU. The summit will have to discuss something completely new, the EU's future plan to support BP by opening up in several ways that will bring us closer. We have high expectations for the promised plan that we are so eagerly waiting for. The phased integration into the common market promises to give us a good idea of ??the economic growth of the region in the years to come. It's time to move forward together and make sure we see promising works.

We may still have important unresolved issues, but through this process we have learned that the only way is to try to agree as much as possible and do as many things together as possible. I believe that the better the atmosphere of cooperation, the bridges we build between our countries, the better the space to deal with the most difficult issues. I want to thank from the bottom of my heart the chambers involved in this process: the Union of Chambers of Commerce of the Western Balkans, which has helped the governments a lot."

According to the head of the government, there are about 6,000 commercial companies in the region that have benefited from joint economic activities between the countries.

"One of the most significant data that I want to share with you is that 6 thousand commercial companies in the region have benefited from trade promotion activities, from the removal of non-tariff barriers from fairs, joint events that have included commercial companies, especially the support for approaches with funds in relation to the market. I want to quote without permission the dear French friend we have here who yesterday reminded me of something very essential that cannot be forgotten, what we are building here is not something new, but is based on the Franco-German example.

He told me that he is originally from Alsace, one of the bloodiest battles in the long conflict between France and Germany and that his grandparents have seen it with their own eyes, from these terrible memories of the war, France decided to extend a hand of cooperation to Germany. The word spread about this bold gesture at the time and paved the way for the Europe we have, so that generations would not see war. It is essential not to see war as a video game, but as a catastrophe to be avoided at all costs."