Union of Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Albania hosted today’s 14th Session of the WB6 Chamber Investment Forum Managing Board meeting. During the meeting, presidents of the member chambers, national coordinators and representatives of the WB6 CIF Permanent Secretariat discussed on different issues including the one related to the upcoming EU Summit in Sophia, WB Digital Summit, WB6 CIF activities in MAP REA2 and WB6 CIF projects in preparation and implementation.
At today’s session, WB6 Chamber Investment Forum established a Business Council which will, on behalf of 400,000 companies gathered by the joint regional chamber, monitor the removal of obstacles to more successful business within the region and with the EU. The Council will regularly provide information to the Western Balkan governments including proposing measures that will reduce costs and make business easier.
The establishment of the Business Council, which includes owners and managers of 16 large business systems, which have companies and business operations throughout the region, will ensure even more active participation of the business community in building a common regional market and a single investment destination in the Western Balkans.
“The speed of recovery of the region’s economies from the consequences of the pandemic will also depend on the speed with which we will negotiate and implement the agreements, remove barriers for mutual business and build a common market. And in that business, no one can help more than the businessmen who are in the field every day, who apply the regulations, whose people and goods travel the region, cross borders and encounter a number of obstacles that can be removed only if we are dedicated and work together, if we have economic approach to problem solving”, said Mr. Čadež, President of the WB6 Managing Board.
The Managing Board meeting was attended by the representative of the EC Directorate General for Enlargement Mr. Thomas Hagleitner. “The EU strongly supports the creation of a single regional area”, Hagleitner said and emphasized that the integration of the Western Balkans into the EU is of a strategic importance, to which the investment plan for economic development and removal of trade barriers in the region will give significant contribution. “The sooner the region develops into a stable economy, the better for the EU”. According to Hagleitner, the private sector is in the focus of the development and the Chamber Investment Forum is a key player in the process of establishing a legal framework that will enable the economy to enjoy the benefits of the single economic area.
WB6 CIF will be a part of the platform for communication of the region’s economy with the institutions in Brussels in implementation a new action plan for the establishment of a common market until 2024, the adoption of which is scheduled for the November EU-WB Summit in Sofia.
