PM Lukšić calls for common vision for Balkans as all-round partnership towards greater competitiveness

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• Balkans’ membership in NATO promotes stability, prosperity

• Eurozone crisis equally concerns Balkans, fiscal stability policies needed 

• Structural policies, competitiveness, cutting red tape is key to progress


New York, USA (23 September 2011) – Addressing the Balkan Leaders Summit in New York last night, PM Igor Lukšić underlined that all Balkan countries should look upon NATO accession as an ultimate political goal in their efforts to promote regional safety as a precondition for long-term stability and economic prosperity.

Referring to the looming financial and fiscal crisis in the eurozone, the PM noted that the countries of the region share the same risks and concerns as their EU neighbours. “As our economies are intertwined with the EU we are concerned at what lies ahead. Therefore, it is absolutely necessary that all our countries, in my view, should stick to the financial stability policies.”

He however noted that taking care of one’s fiscal policies and debt is not enough. “We have to continue with structural policies, and I really believe that countries in the ten-year time will be actually measured by what they have done on the structural agenda in terms of regaining their competitiveness.”

Cutting red tape and removing business barriers, PM Lukšić explained, is equally important and makes up a critical part of the region’s anti-corruption strategy that will in the long run help Balkan counties to prosper economically.

“I believe that the true response is actually economic policy that would deal with aspects such as financial stability, structural agenda, business improvement, in order to regain competitiveness and in the long run to regain solvency,” the PM stressed.

He concluded by urging all Balkan leaders to pool all of the region’s assets towards a common vision of partnership and prosperity.

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