Gonzato: The objective of the EU is to stimulate investments not only in Albania but throughout the Western Balkans

The European Union Ambassador to Albania, Silvio Gonzato, participated today in the signing ceremony of the cooperation agreement that supports the development of Eco-Industrial Parks in Albania.

In his speech, Gonzato emphasized that “The Growth Plan will double the economies of the Western Balkan countries within a decade by improving economic cooperation, bringing improvements in economic standards, but also the necessary economic resilience and achieving convergence with the EU by moving forward with EU reforms and certainly increasing funding.”

He noted that “based on the pace and depth of reforms, Albania could benefit from nearly 1 billion euros to move forward with the country’s economic growth.”

”This is truly a very significant achievement,” he emphasized.

The ambassador underscored that “the EU’s objective is to stimulate investments and the development climate, not only in Albania but also throughout the region.”

He spoke about the call made to the private sector to invest in the Western Balkans.

“We want to attract their investments as well, and therefore eco-industrial parks will be a very important element,” said Gonzato.

He expressed that the EU is ready to assist also regarding capital flows.

“These eco-industrial parks are very important as they support investments, economic development, support businesses, and facilitate the transition to better and more environmentally friendly practices,” said Gonzato.

The ceremony was organized by the Ministry of Economy, Culture, and Innovation (MEKI), in collaboration with the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, in partnership with the Delegation of the European Union to Albania.

The agreement was signed by the Minister of Economy, Culture, and Innovation (MEKI), Blendi Gonxhja, and by the manager for Advisory for States and Economies, Javier Suarez.

The signing of this cooperation agreement represents a key step in the development of the necessary policies and regulatory framework to enable the sustainable transformation of industrial areas in Albania, in accordance with the EU’s environmental standards and the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans./ (May 22)