Every danger facing the European Union has even greater proportions in the Balkans, because the complication of conditions at that level directly reflects on the Balkan countries, said the President of the Chamber of Commerce of Montenegro, Vlastimir Golubović, who was a panelist at the regional conference "Western Balkans 2030 - visions, desires and reality", which was held in Belgrade.
The organizers of the meeting were the Committee of the German Economy for Eastern Europe and the German-Serbian Chamber of Commerce, and the focus was on the political, economic and social perspectives of the countries in the region. Through panel discussions, various visions of the economy, politics and civil society were presented on the topics of economic development, external influences, connectivity, digitalization, the future of democracy, brain drain, PKCG announced.
According to Golubović, the Union is facing numerous challenges, starting with the issue of Brexit, over the lack of manpower, and the large influx of refugees.
Golubović agreed with the position of the president of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, that the EU must become a more sovereign actor on the world stage, and that it needs a definition of the accession of the countries of the Western Balkans.
He emphasized that Europe and the Balkans need innovation and research for economic growth. The financial framework for the period 2021 - 2027 foresees significantly more investments in innovation, as much as 98 billion euros for future research programs, which is about 20 billion more compared to the period 2014 - 2020.
Golubović is convinced that in the coming period, a reliable single European digital market will be created, which will make life easier and enable annual growth worth close to 500 billion euros and create hundreds of thousands of new jobs.
He points out the importance of the Commission's vision of establishing a European education area by 2025, which will facilitate learning, studying and research across borders, which is why the funds for the next Erasmus cycle would double to 30 billion euros, thanks to which 12 million people would have opportunity for learning and mobility.
"In such a European Union, as I believe I will see and live in in 2030, our region will be strengthened, which shows an absolute readiness to integrate into the single market, becoming its significant segment. A united Europe is the answer to global competitiveness and all other political and economic challenges," Golubović believes.
According to the President of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce, Marko Čadež, the unique economic area in the region must be the goal of the governments of the Western Balkans, but also of the business community, and we must work together to achieve this goal.
He particularly emphasized the problem of the departure of professional staff from the countries of the region, and that it is necessary to launch a series of instruments to overcome this problem, among which is the facilitation of business for beginners in business.
"In 12 years, I see our Region as an area of unhindered investment, industrialization, care for workers and education of young people who will find perspective and stay here," said Čadež.
President of the Kosovo Chamber of Commerce, Berat Rukići, says that he would like to see the Western Balkans in 2030 without borders, with normalized relations between Belgrade and Pristina.
"Also, he would like the Region to be recognized as a "hub of innovation" and young talents who will market ideas from here to large global companies," said Rukići.
German businessmen have a vision that the Western Balkans could be an economic space without borders
German businessmen have a vision that the Western Balkans could be an economic space without borders in the next 12 years. They could employ 250 workers and invest tens of billions of euros in the region, according to the participants of the conference from that country.
"The region has great potential. German investments require a stable environment, efficient bureaucracy, clear taxes," said Janusz Kulik, board member of the German Association of Businessmen for Eastern Europe.
According to Ronald Seeliger, president of the German-Serbian Chamber of Commerce, in 2030 the region could be characterized by full employment and a duty-free area, as well as a more mobile workforce adapted to the market.
Stevan Nikčević, State Secretary in the Ministry of Trade, Tourism and Telecommunications of Serbia, estimated that five billion should be invested in the region in order to enable the fourth industrial revolution with the introduction of broadband internet.
The future of the countries of the Western Balkans is in the European Union - this is the key conclusion of the conference in Belgrade.
"How quickly the region will move towards the EU depends on how quickly it solves problems and pressing issues," said the German ambassador to Serbia, Thomas Schieb.
The second day of the conference was marked by discussions about who has an influence on the development of the economies of the Western Balkans, the topic of brain drain and inflow was discussed, mobility and cooperation within the region were discussed, i.e. the effects of the Connecting Agenda for the Western Balkans, then obstacles in digitization - how are the countries Balkans coped with digital and democratic transformation.
The 15th anniversary of the scholarship program of the German economy "Zoran Đinđić" for the countries of the Western Balkans was marked.
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