Bulgaria’s Prime Minister Met with the President of EBRD

In London, on 26^th of February, Bulgaria’s Prime Minister Boyko Borissov opened an Investment Forum for the Western Balkans, organised by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, attended by all prime ministers of the region. The main purpose of the forum is to bring Western Balkan leaders together with potential investors from all over the world and to discuss ways of attracting more support from the private, financial and public sector to strategic infrastructure projects in the region.

This is the third consecutive summit of an initiative launched in 2014 with the EBRD to support the countries of the Western Balkans. All leaders in the region - the prime ministers of Serbia and Montenegro, Albania, Macedonia and Kosovo, as well as the Presiding of Bosnia and Herzegovina presidency, are taking part in the meeting.

At the beginning of the forum, EBRD President, Sir Suma Chakrabarti, stressed that the bank remains a key partner with the EC for greater investment in the Western Balkan countries. In his words, securing greater infrastructure, linking these countries across Europe, will mean peace and security in the region.

This is a topic that he discussed with Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov earlier this morning before the opening of the forum. At the meeting, Borissov stressed that the most important thing Bulgaria is aiming at for the 6 months of the Bulgarian Presidency of the Council of the EU, which will continue in the next presidencies of Austria, Croatia and beyond, is that prospect of the Western Balkans, beginning with connectivity - digital and infrastructure developing According to Boyko Borissov, 5 billion will be needed for digital connectivity without which investors will not come to the region.

Borissov also stressed that this meeting was attended by investors and the people of the EBRD, as well as by representatives of the British government. He also quoted them as saying that they are exiting EU, but are not withdrawing from investments in the Balkans. Following today's summit, seven new agreements will be signed.