North Macedonia, Serbia, Albania – Olivier Becht’s visit to the Western Balkans (September 19-26, 2023)

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Olivier Becht, Minister Delegate for Foreign Trade, Economic Attractiveness and French Nationals Abroad, attached to the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, is visiting the Western Balkans from September 19 to 26. He will be in North Macedonia, Serbia and Albania.

This visit is designed to strengthen our economic cooperation with Serbia. Trade between our two countries has surpassed €1.6 billion and is bolstered by the presence of 120 French companies in Serbia. It will also offer an opportunity for the minister delegate to highlight the benefits to citizens from projects that receive support from the French Development Agency (AFD), a major source of funding in the region; they are contributing to concrete, visible changes on the ground, particularly in the rail sector, urban mobility, waste management and water resource management.

It also aims to expand our partnerships with North Macedonia and Albania, two countries to which French companies could bring their expertise, particularly in the areas of infrastructure and renewable energies.

The visit will especially emphasize France’s support for the ecological and energy transitions in the Western Balkans. The minister delegate will visit several projects involving French companies, especially in the field of photovoltaics.

Lastly, on September 26, Olivier Becht will take part in the Berlin Process meeting of economy ministers, held in Tirana. This group aims to promote regional cooperation consistent with European norms.