Borrell: EU to help Western Balkans’ war-affected economies

By LLAZAR SEMINI
Associated Press

TIRANA, Albania (AP) — The European Union’s foreign policy chief has said the bloc would support the Western Balkan countries to overcome the economic crisis caused by Russia’s war on Ukraine. EU official Josep Borrell was in Tirana, the Albanian capital, on Tuesday in the second stop of his regional tour. Borrell said again that “this is the moment … to anchor the Western Balkans firmly to the EU.” The 27-country bloc plans to commit its “financial and economic capacities to respond to a crisis.” It seeks to diversify the region’s energy supply, strengthen regional cooperation, build infrastructure and create jobs in the Western Balkans. Countries in the region are at different stages on the integration path into the bloc.