Tirana, 06 October 2021
“Building Better Balkans Together” is the theme of the 7th Tirana Connectivity Forum. The word “together” describes the joint cooperation efforts of South East Europe 6 countries when engaging in the current post-covid recovery and growth efforts.
It also depicts the joint efforts of the region with its EU partners for deep institutional reforms, a speedier convergence and a quicker Enlargement pace. Finally, only by bringing into this generational effort all the actors – EU, government, businesses and civil society – can the progress be legitimate, sustained, efficient and resilient.
The rationale present in all the panels of TCF21 is the good governance. To be legitimate, efficient, resilient and sustainable the SEE6 institutions must be well governed, transparent and accountable. This condition becomes paramount for the disbursement in the region of the EUR 30bn package earmarked by EU for the Economic and Investment Plan and its 10 flagship projects.
How local institutions that suffer from structural weaknesses can be trusted partners of EU and of international financial institutions when identifying, implementing and operating EU supported large infrastructure projects? How to avoid the capture of the large projects by vested interests? How to make sure those EU financial transfers to SEE6 respond to the legitimate needs of SEE6 citizen and are implemented as per the EU guidelines of good governance?
TCF21 will provide the platform where the challenges of togetherness and of institutional good governance will be assessed, discussed and dissected with the goal to make more efficient and sustainable the SEE6 development and its convergence with EU. Debates will focus first on what “together” means for policy makers, and how to make the best of it; on bringing in the policy-making cycle new competent actors and interest groups; and on how to valorise SEE6 best asset: its human capital. The second component will shift the discussions towards innovative ideas that contribute to the transparency and accountability of EU financing mechanisms: both key elements of good governance.
Through a Side Event on Fundamentals cluster, TCF21 will provide space for a side event focussed on the role of justice reform in all the above.
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More information about Tirana Connectivity Forum 2021 (agenda, speakers, etc) can be accessed here.
TCF2021 will be livestreamed in:
▪ CDI Youtube (Cooperation and Development Institute)
▪ FB page (@CDIAlbania)
