WB6 Leaders: Common Regional Market a Step toward EU Membership

BETAPHOTO/VLADA SEVERNE MAKEDONIJE/MO

The leaders of the Western Balkans 6 (WB6) adopted at a Nov. 10 video summit held in Sofia, a declaration on a common regional market stating that its forming is a step forward of the region’s economies toward EU membership.

In the document titled “The declaration of the Western Balkans leaders on Common Regional Market, a catalyst for deeper regional economic integration and a stepping stone toward EU single market” the leaders stated they are “firmly committed” to their countries becoming full-fledged EU members.

“We, the leaders of the Western Balkans Six, have agreed to strengthen economic cooperation in the region by developing a common regional market, based on the rules and standards of the EU, so as to increase the appeal and competitiveness of the region and bring it closer to the EU market,” says the declaration resulting from the video summit hosted by Bulgaria as part of the Berlin Process.

The document also says that the steps toward the establishing of the common regional market should go hand in hand with an accelerated integration with and a “gradual entry” into the EU single market.

In addition to the WB6 representatives, the Sofia summit was also attended by European Commission President Ursula von der Layen, EU Minister for Foreign Affairs Josep Borell, EU Enlargement Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Emmanuel Macron, Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic and Regional Cooperation Council Secretary General Majlinda Bregu.