On 6 December, the EIB participated at the 4th EU Western Balkans Summit in Tirana, Albania. This event was the first of its kind to be held in one of the candidate countries in the region.
The aim of the event was to bring together leaders from the six Western Balkans partners, the 27 EU member states, EU institutions and international financial organisations to tackle various topics affecting the region.
In particular, the summit comprised of two sessions and topics discussed included support to the region to combat the energy crisis stemming from Russia’s war in Ukraine, developing a more robust socio-economic foundation and the role of the EU’s Economic and Investment Plan, reinforcing political and policy engagement, security issues and migration.
Charles Michel, President of the European Council, and Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, represented the European Union.
Read about previous EU Western Balkans Summits
Read the speech by EIB Vice-President Pavlova given at the event