Fon der Lajen: Western Balkans Move Closer to European Market—Now is the Time to Invest

TIRANA – At the EU-Western Balkans investment forum in Tirana, President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, declared that the Western Balkans is “firmly on the path to EU membership” and called on investors to seize the moment to invest in the area. Addressing leaders and business representatives from the region, she highlighted that the advantages of European integration are already impacting citizens’ daily lives, citing the adoption of the SEPA payment system, which has significantly decreased transaction costs. “This is tangible progress, not mere theory,” stated von der Leyen.

She pointed out that EU member countries have seen “remarkable economic growth,” a trend expected to unfold in the Western Balkans as well. “Look at the recent accession trends. The Polish economy has tripled in under thirty years. In Croatia, unemployment plummeted from 17 percent to four percent in just over a decade. Similar outcomes await the Western Balkans, and I’m not referring to some distant future. Your economies are poised for rapid growth in the near term,” von der Leyen stated. The Growth Plan for the Western Balkans aims to double the region’s GDP in the next decade by unlocking European markets, enhancing regulatory frameworks, and channeling investments into key sectors. “My message to investors is straightforward. Don’t let this chance slip away. It’s time to invest in the Western Balkans,” she emphasized. During the forum in Tirana, ten business contracts were signed, and 24 new projects worth over four billion euros are in the pipeline.

She announced the establishment of two regional hubs in Serbia and North Macedonia, linked to a European network enabling local companies and startups to develop and test artificial intelligence models using EU “supercomputers.” This initiative allows local firms to create AI solutions utilizing EU infrastructure without relying solely on major cities like Brussels, Berlin, or Paris. Von der Leyen also underscored the Western Balkans’ potential for producing ecological “clean energy,” suggesting the region could become a central hub for energy production, storage, and distribution throughout Europe, as noted on the European Commission’s website. “You are creating a new energy backbone for not only the Western Balkans but for all of Europe,” she remarked. Furthermore, she stressed the significance of integrating regional industries into European value chains, spanning from battery and pharmaceutical production to textile recycling. “Investing in the Western Balkans translates to investing in a future European market of 500 million people,” von der Leyen concluded. (October 13)