TIRANA, Dec 21 /ATA/ Commissioner for Enlargement and Good Neighbourhood, Oliver Varhelyi, stated on Tuesday that he supports the “Open Balkan” initiative, emphasizing that this will also help the Economic and Investment Plan provided by the EU.
He also called on the three countries that have not joined the initiative yet to join it, as this would kickstart their economies.
Speaking on an online link at the plenary session of the Open Balkan Summit, Varhelyi said, “It is easy to be a friend of the Balkans, when you are from there, as you know, I am from Hungary. “Maybe it gives me a better understanding of the needs of the Balkans and how we can help the Balkans from the EU, to grow much faster and come much closer to the EU.”
“To be honest, I have always been very positive about this proposal. It was first called mini-Schengen. We then tried within the Berlin process and created the common regional market. But unfortunately with some elections in the region, this initiative was set aside. In the meantime I consider this Open Balkan initiative, a successor or a replacement, until everyone is around the table. This is the conclusion I have drawn from the beginning. For you to continue to promote this initiative, because the region wants to be a whole. The region wants to be a whole, in terms of economy, in terms of society. “The region wants to be together as we are in the EU,” said Varhelyi.
“I also admire the fact how strongly you feel about this initiative. Because first of all, it was an initiative coming from the Balkans. It is not the EU that came up with this initiative, but it came from you. Of the three actors I see around the table today and you kept pushing forward even when we failed to attract the participation of all the partners of the Western Balkans. “Because you understood the importance of regional integration and especially the way in which it is able to change the lives of your citizens and the way it can accelerate economic integration with the EU,” said Varhelyi.
“We think that this is the best message that the region can convey, that not only is it ready for regional cooperation, but it is doing, it is developing this union”, said Varhelyi, adding that, “you can include me as supporters of the Open Balkan ”.
“Allow me to avail myself of this opportunity to invite the other three partners to return to this regional cooperation, because not only does it increase opportunities for businesses, it is in the best interest of consumers, it offers increased employment, but also may change realities on the ground. And the realities on the ground are very bleak. And if there is one thing I want to quote from Prime Minister Rama, it is that only by making the common regional market a reality can the Balkans grow, add 1/3 of the existing GDP. So 1/3 growth of the existing GDP is very close only by implementing the common regional market. The remaining 2/3 of growth, or the rest of GDP growth or more, can be achieved through a substantial complement that is the Economic and Investment Plan, which is something the EU has come up with and provided. “But this plan is based on the existence of a common regional market, or a regional integration”, stressed Varhelyi.
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