European Commissioner: The EU will continue to support the countries of the Western Balkans
European Commissioner for Enlargement and Neighborhood Olivier Varhelyi said that the EU will continue to support the countries of the Western Balkans.
He promised to increase Euro investments in them, especially during the energy crisis, a PolitNavigator correspondent reports.
Speaking in the European Parliament on October 19, Olivier Várhelyi said the EU's goal was to quickly help Western Balkan countries and their citizens who pay high energy prices. The European Commissioner noted that the EU will not leave the Western Balkans, and will continue to support the countries of the region politically and financially, since “relations with them are very important.”
“These are difficult times, but the European Union has always supported its partners. The energy crisis is a big problem for the Western Balkans and the European Union, which is why the EU includes this region in its programs. The European Union has invited the Western Balkans to join joint procurement of energy resources, especially natural gas and hydrogen. Serbia and North Macedonia have already joined this plan,” said the European Commissioner.
He also said that the EU is working on an Energy rescue program for the Western Balkans.
“The funds we are proposing will solve the problems facing the region in the short term. It is very important that we do this - this winter. Short-term measures include support with the supply of energy sources, energy storage devices and terminals,” said Olivier Várhelyi, without specifying how the EU itself plans to survive in these conditions.
Regarding medium-term investments, the European Commissioner noted that these would be a variety of projects in renewable energy, heating and improving the energy efficiency of buildings.
Как reported PolitNavigator, last week Oliver Varhelyi said that in today's political context, the European Union needs help from Serbia because Europe is “suffering from war.”
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