State Secretary for Europe Andreja Metelko-Zgombić delivered a virtual message to participants of the Balkan Forum 2021, held 24 and 25 September in Thessaloniki on the topic of sustainable post-pandemic development in the Balkans.
The Balkan Forum is an interdepartmental platform for discussing the ways to advance sustainable development. It is held once a year and brings together representatives of government, economy, nongovernmental sector and the academic community from the WB6 countries, Bulgaria, Romania, Greece, and Turkey. This year, the Forum has been included into the programme of Greece’s SEECP presidency.
Metelko-Zgombić recalled that SEECP was a specific regional cooperation framework committed to the stability and overall progress of Southeast Europe.
The framework for Southeast Europe’s post-pandemic recovery has been set through the Economic and Investment Plan, Common Regional Market and Green Agenda for the Western Balkans, as well as the SEE 2030 Strategy, whose implementation will augment the carrying out of reforms.
Metelko-Zgombić underscored that Croatia had been consistently pushing for the continuation of the enlargement policy towards the Western Balkans and merit-based progress of individual countries. She emphasized Croatia’s commitment to the region’s post-pandemic recovery, including through vaccine procurement and donations.
The state secretary concluded her message by underlining Croatia’s readiness to assist the neighbouring countries in implementing the Sustainable Development Goals, both bilaterally and through EU mechanisms and initiatives.