Federal Minister of Economics Altmaier: “The countries of the Western Balkans are an integral part of Europe. We support your path to the European Union through the Berlin Process. The connection between industrial and environmental policy is becoming more and more important. The Green Agenda for the Western Balkans is the guide for structural change in the region towards a climate-neutral economy. We want to support the countries of the Western Balkans in overcoming this great challenge. I have therefore proposed the appointment of a special representative today. "

As part of the conference, there will also be an economic forum with representatives from companies and associations that are active in the region. Among other things, this involves vocational training, digitization, cooperation in the energy sector and the creation of a common economic area.

The so-called "Berlin Process" for the Western Balkans, an initiative of the German government from 2014, is a joint format of several EU countries and Great Britain, the European Commission and the Western Balkan six - Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo*, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia. The aim of the initiative is to bring the Western Balkan countries closer to the European Union and to deepen regional cooperation. The region is economically closely intertwined with the EU internal market: around 70 percent of trade in the Western Balkans takes place with the European Union. At the summit of the EU and the Western Balkans in Sofia 2020, the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans was adopted. An important aspect is the reduction of coal-fired power generation. The share of coal in electricity generation in the countries of the Western Balkans is currently around 70 percent on average.

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