North Macedonia takes over the 2021 Chairmanship with the Central European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA). EU Ambassador David Geer and Minister of Economy Kreshnik Bekteshi will present Friday the 2021 priorities for the Central European Free Trade Agreement under the Chairmanship of North Macedonia.
Taking the lead in the implementation of the priority actions will be done through implementation of the Common Regional Market (CRM) 2021-2024 Action Plan, adopted during the Summit in Sofia in November 2020 and supported by the European Commission, reads the press release of the EU delegation.
The key objectives of North Macedonia’s Chairmanship are: supporting the economic recovery after the COVID-19 crisis; making the region more attractive for investment and trade, and bringing prosperity to the citizens in the Western Balkans. This will be done through facilitation of trade in goods and services and creating a region free of measures and obstacles impeding trade.
This process follows up on the regional economic area initiated within the Berlin Process and is an integral part of the Economic Investment Plan (EIP) of the European Union for the Western Balkans. The EIP puts a strong emphasis on the building of a common regional market as a way to increase the competitiveness of the Western Balkans. The common regional market is a stepping stone for the Western Balkans to integrate closely with the Single Market of the European Union already before the actual accession.
