Soft connectivity and the Western Balkans
Soft connectivity and the Western Balkans By Bojana Gajic 27 Feb 2018 Boosting integration and infrastructure in the region Soft connectivity and deepening economic integration between the six countries in the Western Balkans dominated the agenda of yesterday’s third Western Balkans Investment Summit. From the opening speech by EBRD President Sir Suma Chakrabarti to the remarks from the six Prime Ministers to the panel on “Soft Connectivity Agenda for the Western Balkans” the topic was a recurring theme of the event. Investment in transport and energy systems, as a driver of growth and jobs creation have been a priority for European policymakers ever since the leaders of the six Western Balkans countries first met at the EBRD in 2014. However, it was clear that physical infrastructure on its own would not deliver desired results. Similarly important is implementing soft…