European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen vowed to bring the economies of the Western Balkans and the European Union 'closer' on Monday as she began a four-day tour of the region, according to Euronews. Speaking in the capitals of North Macedonia and Kosovo, von der Leyen pledged to double both countries' economies in the next decade as part of the EU's pound 6 billion growth plan for the Western Balkans, seen as a stepping stone to EU accession. But the path to EU membership can only open up if political reforms are implemented in both countries, according to von der Leyen. In Pristina, she said success is dependent on the normalisation of relations between Serbia and Kosovo, which have come under immense strain since a Kosovar policeman was killed by armed paramilitary troops trained in Serbian military bases in late September. The EU's growth plan will see Western Balkan companies gain access to the EU's single market in seven sectors in exchange for key reforms, including ensuring sound public administration and finances, the independence of the judiciary and a crackdown on corruption. The Commission will publish an assessment of countries' progress in meeting the reforms on November 8. The EU will also inject money into strategic investments to incentivise such reforms and to bring the two blocs' economies closer together. The Western Balkan region could see its GDP jump by 10% as a result, von der Leyen said on Monday. "The economy of Kosovo is at 27% of the EU average income, so there is a lot of untapped potential," von der Leyen said in a joint press conference in Pristina with President Vjosa Osmani. "We should try to double your economy within a decade," she added, making the same pledge earlier in Skopje to North Macedonian Prime Minister Dimitar Kovacevski. The North Macedonian economy stands at 42% of the average income in the EU. Leyen emphasised to both Osmani and Kovacevski that political reforms need to be delivered for money to be disbursed under the growth plan and for the process of accession to the EU to progress.
Source: AZERTAC, Azerbaijan State News Agency