The ministerial was held under the chair of the United Kingdom Special Envoy for the Western Balkans Dame Karen Pierce, with the participation of senior officials of the British Council Headquarters, in the presence of representatives of the World Bank, partner institutions and organizations.

In his speech at the meeting, Gonxhja emphasized Albania’s progress in the European integration process and the positive developments in new ventures, economy, tourism, innovation and technology.

“The creative economy is no longer an alternative, but an engine of development that can generate up to 700 million euros of added value in the economy and over 70 thousand jobs in Albania,” he said.

Gonxhja noted that Albania is affirming itself as a dignified actor on the cultural and economic map of Europe, where the establishment of the Ministry of Economy, Culture and Innovation, as he put it, “was appreciated as a significant example of governance in line with the global agenda of sustainable and innovative economic development.”

The first round of funds under the Creative Economy Support Package starts immediately, while the second will be formalized in October in London. /j.p/p.s./

In the speech delivered at the Regional Summit of the Western Balkans with the EU in Kotor, Montenegro, Rama thanked Commissioner Varhelyi and the Commission, “for working so closely with us and offering us a genuine friendly dialogue platform.”

“The progress that we have made individually and together during the last two and a half months, since our meeting in Skopje at the start of the process, speaks for itself”, said Rama.

The head of the government stated that, “We have already prepared the individual reform plans, we have identified the key initiatives which will gradually bring us closer to the common market, and finally, we have started the preparation of the common regional market. We are ready to start.”

Further on, PM Rama emphasized that, “First of all, we need to work on the possibility of the growth plan to prepare ourselves for the common market, which is the pillar of the plan. It is high time for the region to become part of the European digital portfolio”.

“Individually, we have included it in our reform plan and we aim to be ready by 2027. We expect the Commission to finalize the roadmap so that we have a clear path forward based on European practices. In the field of health, as far as the integration of the region in the critical medical alliance is concerned, I would suggest that we surely move towards the health union in Europe. The pandemic showed how vital such a thing is and also how limited cooperation is in the health sector”, Rama emphasized.

Rama praised the work of the transport committee and CEFTA in preparing the roadmap and facilitating trade and transport between the Western Balkans and EU border states.

“There are only 10 border points through which pass more than 80% of cargo circulation trade with the European Union. Through modernization of these points, there will benefit not only the region, but also the EU, since it is the main trading partner of the region. This roadmap will provide the basis for implementation of the 2.0 transport facilitation project for the region, making a reality the green lanes with EU member states,” said Rama. /k.s/r.e/p.s./