The Western Balkans: An Integral Part of Europe’s Competitive Future
Europe’s competitiveness will also be shaped by how successfully we integrate the Western Balkans into our common economic future.
At this week’s GLOBSEC BELTALKS in Belgrade, I had the opportunity to exchange views with policymakers, financial-sector representatives and regional experts on the next steps for the Western Balkans and the European Union.
Three points stood out to me:
EU enlargement and European competitiveness should not be treated as separate agendas.
Stronger regional integration and access to finance are essential for sustainable growth.
Progress requires continuous dialogue between governments, European institutions and private sector.
For Raiffeisen Bank International AG, the Western Balkans are not a distant neighborhood. They are an integral part of our home market and of Europe’s future. Thank you to GLOBSEC and to all speakers and participants for the candid and constructive discussions. The task now is to turn the dialogue into tangible progress.
Thank you to GLOBSEC, Raiffeisen banka a.d. Beograd and Zoran Petrovic for the organization and warm hospitality!
