Čadež: Western Balkan Remains a Priority of the New German Government

The Western Balkans remain a priority for the new German government. New solutions and ideas are being sought in order to support regional and European integration said Marko Čadež, the president of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia (CCIS) during a three-day visit to Berlin where he met with German institutional representatives.

“Over the past three days, I have spoken to representatives of the Bundestag, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Office of the Chancellor, the representatives of economy and industry about how we see the future of the Western Balkans and the region's cooperation with the European Union- a process that has not progressed much when it comes to EU accession", said the president of the CCIS.

He explains that the process has not progressed much, not in terms of negotiations, but in the practical sense of what is being implemented and what are the real benefits of the Union's single market for companies in the region. "The basic question is and we all agreed that the Western Balkans is a priority of this new German government as well." We mostly talked about the Open Balkan Initiative, why it is important, how we can expand it to all six economies in the Western Balkans, what is important and how the EU sees the process of bringing the whole region and each economy closer to the common economic market.

"It is very important for us to have tangible results that will lead to cost reduction for our companies, enabling them to operate and become a part of the EU single market," said the president of CCIS.

During a working visit to Berlin, the President of the CCIS talked about European integration and the Open Balkan regional initiative and new ideas within the Berlin Process with Susanne Schuetz, Head of Southeast Europe Department from the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sonja Eisenberg, Director at the Federal Ministry of Economy. MP Adis Ahmetović, SDP Parliament group reporter for Balkans, Michael Harms, Director of the German Committee for Economic Relations with Eastern Europe, Gerald Knaus from the European Stability Initiative, and many other German officials and representatives of the business community.