“The Trieste Summit this summer underlined how significant the Digital Agenda is for the Regional Economic Area of the Western Balkans. The RCC works with the region to consolidate its market of around 20 million people, attract investment, generate growth and jobs. To that end, with today’s meeting and starting the work on Digital Summit, we move towards one of the key MAP objectives, development of digital markets, as development of digital technology changes everything - communication, working, learning and living patterns. The region needs to utilise its potential in this area and start benefiting from it, by ensuring supply of accountable, transparent, innovative and competitive services, and knowledge sharing pools”, said RCC Secretary General, Goran Svilanovic, in his opening remarks.

 

Helge Tolksdorf, Head of division for EU-Enlargement, Southeast Europe, and Turkey at the German Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, expressed his satisfaction over that fact that establishment of the Steering Committee brings the region a step closer to the Digital Summit, as the Committee will be dealing with the Summit’s scope, goal, and organisational issues. “We are very pleased to having kick-started this important activity, as it sets the ground for the region to use its potential and place itself on the global digital map for the benefits of all involved, individual economies and its citizens, region, and the EU.”