Brussels, 27 June 2025 (MIA) – EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos on June 30-July 1 in Skopje will hold a meeting with Western Balkan leaders, including PM Hristijan Mickoski, dedicated to the efforts on accelerating the implementation of the EU’s Growth Plan for the region.

In addition to Mickoski, the leaders of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Serbia and Montenegro will take part in the meeting with Kos, said the European Commission on Friday, MIA’s Brussels correspondent reports. 

The Growth Plan offers benefits to the six Western Balkan countries which are preparing for EU membership, and this meeting will review progress and discuss next steps, said the press release.

“The leaders will work with Commissioner Kos to turn commitments into action, focusing on critical reforms to unlock funding under the Growth Plan and deliver tangible benefits to citizens of candidate countries ahead of accession.”

“The summit will also be an opportunity to discuss new areas of cooperation: consumer protection, tourism and the Single Market Highway, aimed at advancing the economic integration of the Western Balkans into the EU's Single Market,” it said.

As part of the discussions, it is announced that the Commission will also propose a €87.7 million investment package within the existing Western Balkans Investment Framework (WBIF). This package is expected to mobilise nearly half a billion euro in private investments in clean-energy projects across the region.

The EU's Growth Plan for the Western Balkans, promoted by the European Commission in October 2023, aims to boost the region's economy and help its countries join the EU. It provides €6 billion in funding for reforms and investments in areas like energy, transport, and digital transformation, with the goal of increasing prosperity and stability in the region.

MIA file photo