TIRANA, July 4 /ATA/ Minister of Finance and Economy, Arben Ahmetaj, attended Wednesday the meeting of the Ministers of Economy of the Western Balkans, which takes place every year in July in the light of the Berlin Process. Also, in attendance was Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy & Enlargement Negotiations, Johannes Hahn.
The meeting focused on presentation of achievements in three main directions: Promoting Investment and Trade in the Western Balkans; Regional Economic Integration with the advancement of Regional Economic Region MAP REA and Increased Access to Finance for Small and Medium –Sized Enterprises and Start-ups, in line with the objectives set at the previous summits (Western Balkans Investment Summit held in London and the Skopje Digital Summit).
The meeting was presided over by United Kingdom and Austria, and the date of the meeting coincides with the takeover of the Presidency of the Council of EU by Austria, which will prioritize a credible enlargement for the Western Balkans.
The summit participants discussed the need to bridge the digital skills gap so that the workforce will be able to respond to the challenge of digital transformation.
Improved governance and transparency; promoting innovation, productivity and competitiveness; opening up new markets and generating further employment opportunities; strengthening of vocational education and training; promoting social inclusion and raising the level of well-being of citizens were regarded as the main advantages of digitalisation.
The countries agreed that the European Union’s Digital Education Action Plan, adopted in January 2018, and the recommendations of the OECD report (South East Europe Competitiveness Outlook 2018), could provide the basis for developing national digital skills strategies, including programs to narrow the gender gap and increase employability.
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