Leaders of the Western Balkans taking part at the Sofia Summit within the Berlin Process, co-hosted by North Macedonia and Bulgaria, signed Tuesday the Declaration on the Common Regional Market for the purpose of enhanced regional economic integration and a step forward to the EU Single Market, and the Declaration on the Green Agenda.

The Declaration on the Common Regional Market focuses on the area’s transformation in line with EU regulations and standards, towards strengthening the region’s competitiveness and its approximation to the standards of the Union’s Single Market. An Action Plan incorporating specific steps has also been adopted, ensuring the regional market’s integration in the European and global chains, the Government said in a press release.

The comprehensive Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans has a key role in the realization of this objective, in projects within manufacturing sectors and sustainable infrastructure, as a required contribution in defining the region’s common future in the EU.

The Declaration on the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans aims to achieve a carbon-neutral continent by 2050 alongside the EU, by introducing strict climate policies and reforms in the energy and transport sectors, but also de-pollution of air, water and soil, protection of bio-diversity and eco-systems.

Sofia Summit participants also adopted the “Conclusions of the Co-hosts”, in which North Macedonia and Bulgaria are recognized for the implementation and organization of all events during the year.

Countries of the Western Balkans and their EU partners agree that the idea for a joint presidency is a clear signal on the enhanced regional ownership of the process, further enhancing efforts towards political and socio-economic convergence and cohesion of the regional countries and the region with the EU, reads the press release.