On 14th November 2022 at the 19th Vienna Economic Forum – Vienna Future Dialogue 2022, H.E. Olivér Várhelyi, EU Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement pointed out in his Insights that this year’s Vienna Economic Forum comes at a critical time for Europe and the region.
In view of the unprecedented crisis caused by the global pandemic 2 years ago and the current war of aggression in Ukraine, which has worsened the state of affairs by fuelling global inflation, increasing geopolitical fragmentation and challenging macroeconomic stability, Commissioner Várhelyi elaborated on the impact of these political and economic changes in the EU neighbourhood and the Western Balkans countries and stressed that as a result, the war has brought EU and the neighbouring countries closer together, as well as that the changing geopolitical situation has strengthened the EU enlargement and neighbourhood policy!
H.E. Commissioner Várhelyi concluded his address by accentuating that strengthening the bonds between the EU and Western Balkans in this new geopolitical reality is indispensable and pointed out that to attract investments the region must rethink existing strategies and further explore new opportunities like nearshoring.