On 18 October 2024, the CEI-Executive Secretariat participated in the high-level Balkan Economic Forum in Zagreb, Croatia. The event - held under the auspices of and co-financed by the CEI as its flagship event for 2024 - gathered academics, students, media and other figures of the public and private sectors. The focus of the forum was to explore and implement innovative strategies and creative solutions to address the current economic challenges faced by the Balkan countries and stimulate economic growth which, in turn, should strengthen regional cooperation, peace and security.
Deputy Secretary General, Zsuzsanna Kiraly, in her welcome speech, highlighted that strong economies in South-Eastern Europe were fundamental and the CEI - in alignment with circular economy trends - had supported several initiatives to contribute to economies to be more innovative, sustainable, and resilient. She underlined that these initiatives were meant to underline the integrative potential of diplomacy, policy dialogue and regional projects. Regional cooperation is still a strong tool to address the economic challenges of the Balkans and urge their EU accession process-she added.
Promoting circular economy, climate resilience, challenges in boosting innovation and entrepreneurship, as well as promoting clean energy were the key topics of discussion of the event.
