RCC Secretary General @amer_kap for @TheEconomist on EU integration, #WesternBalkans, #BerlinProcess and more. Check it out 👉🏻 economist.com/by-invitation/… #poweredbyRCC 🇪🇺

In his interview with @AJBalkans, RCC Deputy Secretary General @UmutErgezer discusses poverty, economic growth, and why GDP alone cannot capture the full picture. While GDP is an important measure of economic performance, it does not show how equally income is distributed among citizens. RCC's #SEE2030 Strategy ⏭️ supports #SouthEastEurope’s progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals by promoting inclusive economic growth, social inclusion, and regional cooperation aimed at reducing poverty and inequalities while improving quality of life across the region. Watch the original episode 👉🏻rcc.int/docs/815/rcc-deputy-… 📹 Original video by @AJBalkans #poweredbyRCC 🇪🇺 #IDEP2026 #EndPoverty

RCC Deputy Secretary General @UmutErgezer moderated a panel on the EU Anti-Corruption Strategy at the Berlin Process side event “Strengthening integrity and anti-corruption in South-East Europe” with @eu_enlargement_’s Deputy Head of Unit for Western Balkans Regional Strategy and Investment, Enrica Chiozza; Silvana Ramadani, Advisor to Minister of State for Public Administration and Anti-Corruption; @PravdaCG’s State Secretary, Jelena Grdinić, and @mpudt_rh’s Director General Mladen Bručić-Matic today Tirana ⏭️ where discussion highlighted the importance of aligning regional reforms with EU standards, strengthening institutional integrity and public trust, and advancing practical cooperation across South East Europe. Drawing on RCC’s flagship #BalkanBarometer and #SecuriMeter findings, RCC DSG underlined the importance of public trust in institutions and evidence-based policymaking 👉🏻 Integrity and good governance are not only rule-of-law priorities, but also essential for economic competitiveness, the Common Regional Market and the Western Balkans’ EU integration. #poweredbyRCC 🇪🇺

aaand that’s a wrap on #WBDS2026! 🤖🌐 Two days, plenty of ideas, conversations and connections, and a shared digital agenda moving forward together from #HercegNovi. #poweredbyRCC 🇪🇺

Western Balkans Digital Summit concluded today in #HercegNovi, and welcomed the #AIroadmap for the #WB6, developed by the RCC together with regional partners, setting a direction for responsible AI development & adoption 👉🏻 expected to be endorsed at the upcoming Berlin Process Leaders’ Summit #WBDS2026 concluded with a set of priorities for accelerating regional digital integration, including:🪪 Mutual recognition of digital identities 📱 Implementation of Digital Identity Wallets 📶 More affordable roaming with the EU 🛡️ Stronger cybersecurity cooperation & improved digital connectivity 🤖 Further RCC support for implementing the AI Roadmap 🔗 Stronger regional coordination on digital services 🇪🇺 Continued alignment of regional digital frameworks with EU standards Read more 👉🏻 rcc.int/news/1083/western-ba… #poweredbyRCC 🇪🇺

Eighth Western Balkans Digital Summit opened today in #HercegNovi organised by @javnaupravamne, under the auspices of the @VladaCG, in partnership with the RCC, and the @europeancommission, and in cooperation with different regional and international organisations, and other partners. Addressing participants, RCC Secretary General @amer_kap stressed that the region’s digital transformation must go beyond developing individual systems and focus on making them work together, saying “Our next challenge is not simply to digitalise six economies. It is to connect them.” #WBDS2026 brought together government representatives from the #WesternBalkansSix, EU institutions, international organisations, telecommunications operators and digital industry experts to advance regional digital transformation, strengthen connectivity and accelerate integration with the EU Digital Single Market. The opening session was followed by the WB6 Ministerial Panel, moderated by @DanijelaGacevic, Head of RCC Programme Department focusing on regional digital transformation, cooperation and closer alignment with European digital standards. Read more 👉🏻 rcc.int/news/1082/kapetanovi… #poweredbyRCC 🇪🇺

Today in #HercegNovi, RCC brought together representatives of the #WesternBalkansSix public sector, mobile operators and the @EU_Commission for a meeting of the Advisory and Coordination Group, held ahead of this year’s Western Balkans Digital Summit #WBDS2026 ⏭️ discussions focused on shaping regional telecommunications and digital connectivity, and on keeping the region better connected as its digital transformation moves forward. #poweredbyRCC 🇪🇺

RCC Secretary General @amer_kap in an interview with @ForbesCrnaGora talked on regional cooperation, digitalisation, cybersecurity, the upcoming Western Balkans Digital Summit and more. “The value of regional cooperation lies in building systems that communicate with each other and comply with European standards, thus translating regional cooperation into tangible progress towards European integration. The goal is that citizens of our region are gradually able to use electronic services in region’s partners with fewer additional procedures. This requires technical integration, but above all, trust among institutions, aligned rules and data safety. It will not happen overnight. It is, however, very important that we stop talking about it as some distant digital future. The work is already underway,” said RCC SG. Read more 👉🏻 rcc.int/docs/812/rcc-secreta… Western Balkans Digital Summit #WBDS2026 starts tomorrow, and brings governments, businesses, international partners, academia and digital experts together for two days focused on what is shaping our digital future. #poweredbyRCC 🇪🇺

RCC Secretary General @amer_kap today at the @OpenSociety Civil Society & Think Tank Forum 2026 session “Competitiveness & Growth: From CRM to Single Market” together with @CEFTA_ Director @Pran_Kastrati, @EUWB6_TCT Director Talis Linkaits, Political Advisor to the Prime Minister and Sherpa for Regional Affairs @LorenaSekiraqa and @wiiw_ac_at Economist Branimir Jovanovic. “The Common Regional Market has given us the framework, and now implementation has to catch up with ambition. The real test is whether the commitments we have made translate into fewer barriers, lower costs and more opportunities for businesses and citizens. Delivery is what will make regional integration credible and bring the Western Balkans Six closer to the EU Single Market,” said Kapetanović. From freer movement and stronger regional value chains to investment, digitalisation and access to the EU Single Market, #CRM remains one of the region’s most concrete tools for closing the convergence gap. #poweredbyRCC 🇪🇺

Meet Flandra Marmullaku, the #WesternBalkansSix ICT Woman Entrepreneur of the Year 2026! 💻✨ Through Data4x, Flandra develops AI and data-driven solutions that help businesses better understand markets, advance digital transformation and make evidence-based decisions. By combining technology, data and business intelligence, her work contributes to a smarter and more competitive digital economy. 📊🚀 Stay tuned to meet the rest of the Western Balkans Six Women Entrepreneurs of the Year 2026. #poweredbyRCC 🇪🇺

Two days. One regional digital agenda. Western Balkans Digital Summit is coming to #HercegNovi 🤖🌐 13–14 October is all about the 8th #WBDS2026, bringing governments, businesses, international partners, academia and digital experts together for two days focused on what is shaping our digital future 👉🏻 digital public services, cybersecurity, AI, digital skills, digital transformation, stronger regional digital cooperation, and more. Stay tuned! #poweredbyRCC 🇪🇺

This week in Budva, seven industrial parks and business zones from the #WesternBalkansSix signed MoUs with EU partners, launching the new WB6–EU Industrial Parks Partnership facilitated by RCC. 🤝🇪🇺 So what comes next? Turning connections into cooperation through: 🔗 Business matchmaking and networking 🏭 Stronger industrial park management and services 🌱 Eco-Industrial Park practices and greener industry 💡 Innovation, skills and sustainable industrial development 📈 Joint projects, investment and funding opportunities 🧠 Expert exchanges and technical support 🧳 Study visits and peer learning, and more Launched under the 2026 #BerlinProcess, the Partnership also supports implementation of the RCC-coordinated #CommonRegionalMarket. Connecting parks. Building value chains. Advancing green practices. #poweredbyRCC 🇪🇺

Today in #Pržno, RCC Secretary General @amer_kap took part in the #BerlinProcess Foreign Ministers’ Meeting under Montenegro’s 2026 Presidency ⏭️ with security and resilience, economic and social convergence, and opportunities for the next generation at the heart of discussions. “Regional cooperation is not a waiting room for European integration, and it is not a substitute for it either. It is the practical means of making this region, and by extension Europe, more resilient, more connected and more secure,” said Kapetanović. From the #CommonRegionalMarket and faster economic convergence to cyber, hybrid and disinformation threats, the message was clear: security, growth and the future of young people are closely connected. “A more resilient Western Balkans is not a favour to Europe’s security. It is a direct contribution to it.” Read more 👉🏻 rcc.int/news/1081/kapetanovi… #poweredbyRCC 🇪🇺

“Convergence will not be decided in declarations. It will be decided in the gap between what we sign and what we apply. Let us close that gap together.” ⏭️ said RCC Secretary General @amer_kap in #Cetinje today at the #BerlinProcess Economy Ministers’ Meeting today, calling for faster delivery of #CommonRegionalMarket commitments ahead of the October Leaders’ Summit. “Implementation is now the credibility test: the gap between a signature and what a company or a citizen actually experiences. We will do our part: our monitoring mechanism will show where delivery moves and where it stalls, and we will come back with concrete feedback,” said Kapetanović. With the #CRM Action Plan already in place and at the core of the EU Growth Plan, the focus is now on delivery ⏭️ 🚀 Supporting entrepreneurs and small businesses 💼 Facilitating investment 🌱 Advancing greener incentives 🔗 Strengthening the region’s links with European value chains and the 🇪🇺 Single Market Read more 👉🏻 rcc.int/news/1080/kapetanovi… #poweredbyRCC 🇪🇺

Today in #Budva, seven industrial parks and business zones from the #WesternBalkansSix signed MoUs with partners from the 🇪🇺, launching the new WB6–EU Industrial Parks Partnership facilitated by RCC. From business matchmaking, supplier development and investment promotion to innovation, skills and greener industrial parks 👉🏻 the goal is to connect #WB6 companies more directly with European value chains, customers, investors and technology partners. “Today, we make the introductions. Tomorrow, we build business links,” said RCC SG @amer_kap. The initiative is part of the regional economic deliverables ahead of the 2026 #BerlinProcess Summit and contributes to the RCC-coordinated #CommonRegionalMarket Action Plan 2025–2028. Read more 👉🏻 rcc.int/news/1079/7-industri… #poweredbyRCC 🇪🇺

Today in #Budva, opening the first panel of the Economic Conference Montenegro 2026 organised by Chamber of Economy of Montenegro as part of the this year’s Montenegro chairmanship of the #BerlinProcess, RCC Secretary General @amer_kap called for faster progress from regional fragmentation to scale. “Every government in this region has committed to economic growth for its citizens, and rightly so. But growth needs scale and access to large markets, and that can only be achieved through common regional endeavour. We all clearly made our European choice. But there is one more choice no one else can make for us: fragmentation or scale. Fragmentation keeps us small, slow and exposed. Scale makes us more competitive, more resilient, and harder to ignore,” said Kapetanović. RCC SG called for faster implementation of the #CommonRegionalMarket, with agreed regional measures translated into concrete benefits for businesses and citizens, and highlighted the next set of RCC-led deliverables ahead of the upcoming Berlin Process Summit. Read the full speech 👉🏻 rcc.int/docs/811/speech-by-r… #poweredbyRCC 🇪🇺

RCC Secretary General @amer_kap welcomed the newly appointed @FranceenBiH Ambassador, Kévin Thuillier, at RCC HQ in #Sarajevo today ⏭️ As an RCC Board participant and a longstanding partner of regional cooperation, the meeting offered an opportunity for an exchange on regional developments, the European integration of the #WesternBalkansSix and opportunities to deepen cooperation on shared regional priorities. Looking forward to continuing the good cooperation and turning shared priorities into regional progress. #poweredbyRCC 🇪🇺

A snip of the newest edition of #PublicSquare podcast, recorded on 2 September, where RCC Secretary General @amer_kap together with @ditmirbushati talks about regional cooperation, the future of EU accession, security, #CommonRegionalMarket and much more. Check out the full episode 👉🏻 rcc.int/docs/810/rcc-secreta… #poweredbyRCC 🇪🇺

On the margins of the United Nations General Assembly High-level Week in #NewYork RCC Secretary General @amer_kap, took part at the meeting of #SEECP Ministers of Foreign Affairs organised under the auspices of the Bucharest Chairmanships-in-Office of the @CEI_Secretariat and the SEECP. “Regional cooperation is no longer measured by what we agree with when politics is easy, but by what continues to work when politics becomes difficult. We cannot wait for a better political climate before we cooperate. It is through cooperation that we begin to create one,” said RCC SG. It was good to hear SEECP foreign ministers welcoming RCC’s contribution to advancing regional cooperation and commending of the work in translating political commitments into concrete regional results. Read more 👉🏻 rcc.int/news/1077/kapetanovi… #poweredbyRCC 🇪🇺

During the high-level week of UNGA in #NewYork, RCC Secretary General @amer_kap met with @MFAHungary’s Deputy State Secretary for International Cooperation, Dr István Lakatos ⏭️ with the Common Regional Market, Hungary’s role in supporting regional cooperation, and opportunities for closer cooperation on connectivity and economic development, among the topics discussed. #poweredbyRCC 🇪🇺