Prime Ministers and businesses meet to strengthen ties
EBRD President Suma Chakrabarti will welcome the Prime Ministers of the six Western Balkans countries to a business conference at the Bank’s Headquarters in London on Monday.
The third EBRD Western Balkans Investment Summit will be opened by President Chakrabarti, the Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov, whose country is currently holding the EU Presidency, and the Rt Hon Matt Hancock, UK Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.
The six Western Balkans countries will each be represented by their head of government, with Edi Rama for Albania; Denis Zvizdić for Bosnia and Herzegovina; Zoran Zaev for FYR Macedonia; Ramush Haradinaj for Kosovo; Duško Marković for Montenegro and Ana Brnabić for Serbia.
In his opening speech President Chakrabarti will reiterate the EBRD’s commitment to the region and is expected to say: “Today’s forum is another opportunity for us, together, to showcase the region’s many strengths – and to invite investors the world over to join us in fulfilling its potential.”
After the opening remarks the six Prime Ministers will engage in a panel discussion, followed by a press conference which will also include Prime Minister Borissov and President Chakrabarti. We plan to stream the morning session via the EBRD’s YouTube channel. Proceedings can also be followed via the hashtag #EBRDwb.
In the afternoon, the conference will break into three sessions discussing “Regional Transport Connectivity”, “Sustainable Regional Energy Model” and “Soft Connectivity Agenda for the Western Balkans”. Panelists will include senior EU representatives and business leaders.
The whole event is open to press. Media still wishing to attend should contact the EBRD Press Office immediately at press@ebrd.com.
Under the leadership of President Chakrabarti, the EBRD has initiated regular meetings of the Western Balkans’ Prime Ministers at the Bank’s Headquarters since 2014 with the goal of supporting regional cooperation, raising the region’s visibility and attractiveness and fostering investment.
The EBRD is a leading institutional investor in the Western Balkans. To date, the Bank’s investments in the six countries of the region are over €10 billion in some 600 operations. In addition, the EBRD is active in policy engagement to support sustainable and inclusive growth in line with the Bank’s transition qualities of competitiveness, inclusion, governance, green, resilience and integration.