DEAR MEMBERS OF VIENNA ECONOMIC FORUM!
The year 2015 is behind us and we want to inform you about our common Vienna Economic Forum activities throughout the year. Here it is – our traditional annual booklet that tries to represent within some pages in words and pictures the whole year – a year full of dynamic, rapid changes in the business world and the political environment, mass migrations and major challenges Europe and worldwide.
The member countries of the Vienna Economic Forum – the six countries of the Western Balkans – Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia are strongly moved into the focus of the European Union and it is an important development that the Prime Ministers of these countries meet together – on the beginning at the First Western Balkans conference in Berlin in August 2014 then, in the Second Western Balkans conference in August 2015 in Vienna.
To support the important common European goal, we have therefore organized together with the Albanian government on 27 May 2015 the Vienna Economic Forum – Tirana Talks 2015 and all 6 Prime Ministers met together around one table for the first time in a capital of a country in the region – in Tirana. This is not ordinary, and thus the Vienna Economic Forum – Tirana Talks 2015 were described as a historical event by all regional media reports. Our aim is to organize our Vienna Economic Talks in this format on a rotating basis, particularly by supporting joint border infrastructure projects, which were designated in 2nd Westbalkan Conference in Vienna as a priority.
We, of the Vienna Economic Forum, are strongly convinced that the EU should support the economic development of all VEF-Members distinctively and thus promote the integration of the Western Balkan countries as soon as possible. The region is part of Europe and deserves to be considered as such. The interest in the region is also reflected in the activities of various countries from other regions of the world. China is very active in the region and shows with its “16 plus 1”-Initiative strategic thinking and rapid response. When we see the Western Balkans from this geopolitical perspective, the unity of Europe should also develop in this direction.
During our meetings in 2015 we experienced again and permanently the importance of cooperation and its significance for achieving positive and concrete results on regional and sub regional level, even more and especially in such turbulent times.
On 18 June 2015 we held Vienna Economic Talks – Investments and Regional Cooperation which we organized together with our strategic partner the Tsomokos Group International in the Studio 44 of Austrian Lotteries in Vienna.
The 14th Traditional Garden Party “Culinary and musical journey through the partner countries of Vienna Economic Forum” on 19 June 2015 was once again a lovely event and once again showed how much people from the region have in common and how important the good economic development and the peaceful relations are between neighbouring countries from the Region of Vienna Economic Forum.
At the 12th Vienna Economic Forum – Vienna Dialoque 2015 on 23 November 2015 we had the pleasure to welcome participants from 39 countries at Palais Niederösterreich in Vienna, 64 % of which came from abroad. High ranking participants and decision makers discussed under the mottos “Investments as a motor for Competitiveness and Growth” about the topics “How can Europe Grow?”, “Can Banks stimulate growth?”, “Investments as a motor. How to create Jobs – regional, sub-regional and Europe-wide?”, “Is a common regional Investment Strategy Possible?”, “The European way to a more pragmatic aspect. Visions and investor response world-wide”.
In the annual ceremony for the Vienna Economic Forum Awards “Country Partner of the Year 2015” was awarded Albania and as “Cooperation Partner of the Year 2015” the Casinos Austria AG and Chief Executive Officer Dr. Karl Stoss were nominated.
Dear Members,
We want to thank you – VEF-members, but also all partners and friends of Vienna Economic Forum, for yours continuous support and active participation at all conference, forums and international Talks, which Vienna Economic Forum organised or co-organised in Vienna and abroad.
We are convinced that Europe needs the Vienna Economic Forum region and that many young, ambitious, to a large extent very well-educated and hard-working people who still have fresh, untapped energies would be an immense asset for Europe.
If Europe and the EU wants to play a global role, then it must also state that the countries from the region clearly belong geographically to Europe, and those who are not yet EU members, should become part of the European Union, and to insert these different parts into the mosaic that is the European Union.
We will further actively work for this goal and we can ensure you, that Vienna Economic Forum will continue the good cooperation for further economic development in and between the member countries, in all directions of the region, in Europe and worldwide.
We are looking forward to meet all of you at the 13th Vienna Economic Forum – Vienna Future Dialogue 2016, on 21 November 2016 in Vienna!
Dr. Erhard Busek Amb. Dr. Elena Kirtcheva
President Secretary General