Thank you very much for hosting us, my friend António Costa and me. It is wonderful to be back in Montenegro. We have now met with our Western Balkan partners for the second time in six months. This already says something important: it shows that Europe and the Western Balkans are getting closer. And today, we discussed how to make this connection stronger, more visible, and more concrete. We have all been affirming: the Western Balkans belong in the European Union. That is very clear. This is not only a promise for the future. It is a choice that we make, a strategic choice. We make this choice through investment, closer cooperation, and the confidence to move forward together. We have basically discussed two topics – the Growth Plan and enlargement.
The Growth Plan matters because it already is a gradual integration in different sectors of the Single Market. The principle is very simple: we open sectors of the Single Market to Western Balkan companies; therefore, the Western Balkan countries have to do reforms to create a level playing field; but with the reforms comes our investment. These are very tangible and practical things. We have so far delivered investments of EUR 675 million. The next tranche foreseen for disbursement is EUR 540 million. For example, it is high-speed internet for 75 000 households, the electrification for railway, or preschool places, just to name a few. But it also has a very important impact for the companies, the businesses in the Western Balkans. For example, SEPA, the Single Euro Payments Area, has been introduced in four Western Balkan countries. What does it do? Normally, if you make transactions, it takes days until they are done, and they cost money. With SEPA it is within seconds, and it costs nothing. If the whole region is integrated, savings could reach around EUR 1 billion for the companies. We also want to bring our people closer. This is why we want to extend DiscoverEU to young people from the Western Balkans. And what is very good is that we will now start to negotiate and implement roaming in the Western Balkans – "roam like at home". I remember when it was introduced in the European Union, it made a huge difference for all of us. And we want to have the same here with the Western Balkans.
The second topic we discussed was enlargement. Enlargement is a geostrategic imperative for us and a long-term investment in our peace, stability and security. It will remain merit-based. But it must become more dynamic. You could also hear it from my friends on the podium. Because merit-based does not mean slow. It means fair and predictable. In other words, it means that when reforms are delivered, progress on the path of accession to the European Union must follow. And this is what we want to do: to reward reforms with real integration. So for example, with access to our programmes, closer links to the Single Market and EU funding that rewards reforms.
To conclude, if I had to sum up this Summit in two words, they would be determination and confidence. Determination to make the European future of the Western Balkans concrete as quickly as possible. And confidence that our Union will grow in the years ahead. And yes, Montenegro becoming the 28th Member State by 2028 is within reach. That is very clear. The discussions show that today. So we can only encourage you to keep up the good spirit and the pace that you have shown, as well as the ambition and determination. We hope that Albania will follow quickly. And that the whole region will keep moving closer to our Union. Because what this Summit has shown is that we already form a community of shared destiny. Our security is connected, our economies are connected, and our future is connected. The enlargement process is how we turn this reality into membership. And how we bring the Western Balkans closer to where they belong: at the heart of the European Union.
Thank you very much for hosting us here.
