site.btaSINPI Chair: Common Balkan Market and Regional Trade and Economic Zone Are Needed

A Balkan trade and economic zone based on stronger production links and the creation of a single common Balkan market is needed, said Dr. Kaloyan Pargov, Chair of the Strategic Institute for National Policies and Ideas (SINPI), at the opening of the Second International Conference The Balkans - for Peace, Security, Cooperation and Partnership, held in Sofia, SINPI said in a press release on Friday.

The two-day forum was opened by Deputy Prime Minister Atanas Zafirov and Economy and Industry Minister Petar Dilov. The event is organized by the Ministry of Economy and Industry, the Strategic Institute for National Policies and Ideas (SINPI), the Forum for Balkan Transport and Infrastructure (FBTI), and the National Association for International Relations (NAIR).

According to Pargov, the conference focuses on developing economic cooperation and integration among Balkan economies, as well as on joint projects for building a unified regional transport and energy network. He emphasized the importance of establishing new transnational Balkan structures to enhance connectivity and foster regional growth.

Pargov recalled that the initiative was launched two years ago out of a shared concern for the state of peace and cooperation in Europe and its neighboring regions. “Today we reaffirm our Appeal for Peace and Equal Security in the Balkans, with its key message: peace for our nations, peace with our neighbors, peace for Europe and the world,” he said.