European Commissioner for Enlargement and Neighborhood Policy Oliver Varhelyi visited Serbia as part of a tour of the region, during which he presented the new Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans and the 2020 Enlargement Package.
During the visit, Commissioner Varhelyi spoke with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, Prime Minister Ana Brnabic, as well as opposition politicians.
After the meeting with President Vučić, Commissioner Varheji said that the EU wants to be more engaged in the Western Balkans in the long run and that the Economic and Investment Plan for the region is part of the puzzle of the new strategy towards the region and Serbia.
“I am travelling around the region in an attempt to explain to everyone that we are fulfilling what we promised,” Varheji said, and reminded that he promised that back in February when he was last in Belgrade. He says that the EU will help the region and Serbia economically, and that this will be the most visible part of Serbia, as well as that the goal is for the region and Serbia to emerge victorious from the crisis caused by the coronavirus.
“I am travelling around the region in an attempt to explain to everyone that we are fulfilling what we promised,” Varheji said, and reminded that he promised that back in February when he was last in Belgrade. He says that the EU will help the region and Serbia economically, and that this will be the most visible part of Serbia, as well as that the goal is for the region and Serbia to emerge victorious from the crisis caused by the coronavirus.
During his joint address, President Vučić expressed his sincere satisfaction with the visit of Commissioner Varheji, who he pointed out was a genuine friend of Serbia, who made efforts to improve the negotiation process leading Serbia to full EU membership.
During his joint address, President Vučić expressed his sincere satisfaction with the visit of Commissioner Varheji, who he pointed out was a genuine friend of Serbia, who made efforts to improve the negotiation process leading Serbia to full EU membership.
“In today’s talks, it seems to me that we talked most specifically about the future of our country, about the economic and investment package, as well as infrastructure projects. “I am very grateful to the EU for the great support it will provide to Serbia and the region in the next seven years, and especially from 2023,” said President Vučić, adding that he was grateful to European taxpayers who would invest a lot of money in the region.
Commissioner Varheji also presented two documents to the members of the National Convention on the EU, where he pointed out that the region of the Western Balkans is a priority for the European Union, the European Commission and him personally.
He singles out transport, energy, environment, digital agenda, private sector and youth as critical segments of the Economic-Investment Plan worth up to 9 billion euros.
“All these sectors will enable the acceleration of local economic growth and job creation in the fastest way, which will attract new investments.” “The investment capacity of the region should be accelerated by opening a new instrument for guarantees that will mobilize up to 20 billion euros of investments, which is one-third of the gross domestic product of the entire region,” the European Commissioner stated.
