Spajic, O’Brien, and Varhelyi Address Growth Plan Summit in Montenegro

On Thursday, at the Western Balkans Growth Plan Regional Leaders’ Summit in Kotor, Montenegro, hosted by Milojko Spajic, the Montenegrin PM said the Plan represented a clear signal of the EU’s commitment to economic and democratic transformation of the Western Balkans.

James O’Brien, US Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, said the Plan’s priority was to create a single market of money circulation, reduce costs, facilitate movement on the market, and create new jobs.

EU Enlargement Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi stressed that the Plan was no longer a draft, but rather a roadmap useful for the region before EU integration.

In that regard, he stated that as a result of the Growth Plan and the intensity of assistance from the Economic and Investment Plan, the reform agenda, and the additional financial assistance, by 2027, the Balkans would have been ready or could be ready or could prepare itself for EU integration.

“You may expect to see the next Commission as an enlargement Commission,” the Commissioner pointed out.