RCC Secretary General urges faster delivery of Common Regional Market commitments ahead of October Leaders’ Summit 

Cetinje – Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), Amer Kapetanović, took part today in the Berlin Process Economy Ministers’ Meeting in Cetinje, hosted by Montenegro’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economic Development Nik Gjeloshaj under Montenegro’s 2026 Presidency of the Berlin Process. The meeting brought together ministers responsible for economic affairs and trade from the Western Balkans Six, representatives of the European Union, Berlin Process partners and regional organisations to discuss regional economic integration and the region’s further integration into the EU Single Market. 

“Implementation is now the credibility test: the gap between a signature and what a company or a citizen actually experiences. Sometimes implementation stalls not between capitals, but between ministries within the same capital. 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. 

Kapetanović recalled that the region already has the Common Regional Market Action Plan, while the EU Growth Plan places the Common Regional Market at the core of the region’s gradual integration into the EU Single Market. He highlighted that the package currently being prepared for the forthcoming Berlin Process Leaders’ Summit follows the development path “from an idea to a business, from a business to growth, from growth to a place in European value chains”, covering support to entrepreneurs and small businesses, investment facilitation, greener incentives and stronger industrial links between the Western Balkans Six and the EU. 

The RCC Secretary General also stressed that regional economic integration must go beyond establishing the four freedoms and build resilience to energy shortages, weak connectivity and climate shocks. He underlined that deeper integration will also depend on closer cooperation with European partners on market access, energy integration and strategic regional investment projects. 

“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,” concluded Kapetanović. 

Earlier today in Budva, Kapetanović also addressed the Economic Conference Montenegro 2026, ahead of the Economy Ministers’ Meeting. On the margins of the Conference, the RCC organised the signing ceremony launching the WB6-EU Industrial Parks Partnership, in cooperation with the Ministry of Regional and Investment Development and Cooperation with Non-Governmental Organisations of Montenegro, the Delegation of the European Union to Montenegro, and the Chamber of Commerce of Montenegro.

Seven industrial parks and business zones from the Western Balkans Six signed Memoranda of Understanding with EU partner organisations, opening cooperation on European value chains, industrial development, business matchmaking, innovation, skills and the green transition. The Partnership is part of the regional economic deliverables prepared for the forthcoming 2026 Berlin Process Summit, with the initiative facilitated and coordinated by the RCC.

RCC Secretary General will take part at the Meeting of Berlin Process Ministers of Foreign Affaris in Przno tomorrow. The Berlin Process Leaders’ Summit, which will conclude Montenegro’s 2026 Presidency of the Process, is scheduled for 22 October in Sveti Stefan.