The Open Regional Fund for South-East Europe – Foreign Trade, is a project funded by CEFTA and implemented by GIZ Montenegro, which seeks to provide support in regards to regional economic integration. The aim of the project is to ultimately strengthen the trade and competitiveness of the region’s economies. PrimePoint Partners’s CEO, Biljana Markovic Stamenova is the project’s key regional expert and will be supporting the work of the Regional Business Advisory, conducting the assessment of existing platforms of business advocacy in the region. By sharing its know-how and expertise, PrimePoint Partners will assist in the fabrication and implementation of various tasks, such as roadmaps, policy papers, monitoring mechanisms and evaluation.
The Central European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA), aims to reduce tariff and non-tariff barriers to trade among those countries in the Western Balkans region, enhancing intra-regional trade and cooperation. The free trade agreement has acted as an important requisite in the process of EU integration.
To further support this, the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Trade Facilitation Agreement (FTA) came into force in February 2017. Although EU member states and the 7 CEFTA parties partly adopted trade facilitation provisions from the agreement, the implementation process has remained slow, as there remains a lack of institutional capacities required to facilitate reform agenda. Yet, this remains of high importance considering the implementation of these measures is a requirement of EU integration as part of the “Multiannual Action Plan for Regional Economic Area in the Western Balkans” (MAP REA).
As an expert of the region, PrimePoint Partners understands the immense potential the Western Balkans has to offer. Continuously being committed to its economic development and growth, PrimePoint Partners are looking forward to contributing to the enhancement and economic competitiveness of the region, making the Western Balkans like no other.
