site.btaMinister Pavlova Participates in Forum on Funding Projects in Western Balkans

Brussels, April 23 (BTA) - Liliyana Pavlova, Minister for the Bulgarian Presidency of the Council of the EU, participated in a working meeting dedicated to EU-Western Balkans relations here on Monday. The forum on the opportunities for investment and funding of projects in the region gathered tens of representatives of the banking and financial sector, Pavlova's ministry reported.

The working meeting was organized by Bulgarian MEP Eva Maydell (GERB/Group of the European People's Party (Christian Democrats)) and Raiffeisen Bank - Serbia, who welcomed MEPs, representatives of the European Commission, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the European Investment Bank, and Western Balkan countries.

Pavlova said that the Bulgarian EU Presidency praises the recently adopted annual Enlargement Package of the European Commission, and in the next two months will do everything within its power to keep the topic of the Western Balkan countries' EU perspective and the connectivity between them and the Union as a priority of the next EU Council presidencies. That is why Bulgaria's ambition is to have the EU-Western Balkans Summit in Sofia on May 17 end not only with a political declaration but also with a specific plan for the funding of projects of significance for the region, she added.

The EU could allocate resources for the implementation of the planned initiatives, but the financial sector in cooperation with the EU institutions, the local authorities and the local business community could double this effect by providing additional support for startups, SMEs and various entrepreneurship initiatives, adapted to the specific needs of the local economies, Pavlova also said.