PM Krivokapić participates in the final panel of Economic Conference

The EU membership has no alternative to the Western Balkans. The European Union cannot be complete without the Western Balkans, it was assessed at the final panel of the Economic Conference - Montenegro 2021, during which high representatives of the governments of the Central European Initiative countries discussed the post-pandemic future of Europe.

Former Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council and diplomat Goran Svilanović moderated the panel discussion with the Prime Ministers of Montenegro and Croatia, and the heads of delegations of Albania, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, North Macedonia, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Serbia.

In reference to the activities of the Government of Montenegro in the fight against the consequences of the pandemic on health and the economy, Prime Minister Zdravko Krivokapić pointed out his satisfaction with the achieved results.

I claim that this Government, history will prove me right, is the most successful and the most competent Government, said the Prime Minister.

When it comes to the European integration of Montenegro, Krivokapić emphasised that we should look at what we have done so far to contribute to the European path, and pointed out the need to strengthen capacities, primarily administrative, and create high-quality projects in order to get funding from EU funds.

Speaking about the activities for recovery and development of the economy, the Prime Minister especially emphasised the "Europe Now" programme, which will contribute to the reduction of inequality by increasing the minimum and average wages and other measures.

Pointing out the importance of developing cooperation in the region and beyond, the Prime Minister said that the support of partners was not lacking in challenging times, emphasising the support provided by partners, embassies and EU member states.

In the end, the Prime Minister expressed special gratitude to all those present, and especially to Prime Minister Plenković, with whom he met for the first time and who is optimistic and believes that the Western Balkans will one day be part of the European Union.

Prime Minister of Croatia Andrej Plenković thanked PM Krivokapić for his hospitality and conveyed the EU's message that this region has no alternative but to join the EU.

He reminded that Montenegro opened the last negotiating chapter during the Croatian presidency of the Council of the European Union, and noted that Chapters 23 and 24 are key to the successful completion of that process.

He said that Croatia believes that all regional initiatives such as CEFTA, EFTA and newer concepts of cooperation are all forms of preparation for EU membership, which is very important for understanding the depth of economic obligations arising from EU membership, which candidate countries don't see.

Croatia will always and exclusively advocate for the accession based on individual merits and achievements, Plenković emphasised.

Deputy Prime Minister of North Macedonia in charge of Economic Affairs Fatmir Bytyqi assessed that more than 80 percent of citizens support European integration, adding that it is challenging to maintain that level of support in such a long period. He also referred to the impact of the pandemic on the European aspirations of the countries in the region.

Unfortunately, now in post-Covid we see that many countries are increasingly focusing on themselves. Instead, we need to focus on Europe. In that process, I believe in the importance of regional cooperation that contributes to competitiveness, and it will prepare us to become inclusive economies.

Bytyqi especially emphasised Croatia's experience in the integration process, from which other countries in the region can learn.

According to him, all the negative trends such as migration and brain drain indicate that all countries in the Western Balkans must work together to raise business competitiveness.