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EU, Western Balkan countries agree to boost cooperation in infrastructure construction

Xinhua, April 1, 2016 Adjust font size:

Western Balkan countries and the European Union agreed on Thursday to boost construction of infrastructure and inter-connectivity in the region.

At a ministerial meeting held in the Albanian coastal city of Durres, the two sides "managed to reach agreement on a number of tangible and important issues such as the core network corridors for the Western Balkans," said Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn.

"We aim to have an equally successful summit in Paris on 4 July. This requires that we deliver all the issues agreed in Vienna, in particular the 'soft measures' on energy and transport," Hahn said.

The EU commissioner said that the new investment package in Paris for WB countries will be up to 150 million euros (171 million U.S. dollars) and the EU would provide up to 1 billion euros (1.14 billion dollars) to co-finance the connectivity agenda over the period 2014-2020.

"In 2015 we have provided 200 million euros (228 million dollars) for 10 priority projects valued at 600 million euros (684 million dollars)," he said.

"The Western Balkans Investment Framework is the key platform to ensure close cooperation on the regional projects and the funding from stakeholders. It has now been adapted to take connectivity co-financing on board," Hahn added. Endi