The Minister of Trade, Tourism and Telecommunications of Serbia, Tatjana Matic, stated today that it is extremely important that the region’s economies remain on the path of digital reform and networking towards a sustainable, climate-neutral and resource-efficient region within European integrations.
“Our shared vision of next-generation networks as the main force for economic growth can now and should be expanded in our mutual fight against social and economic challenges imposed globally by the Covid-19 pandemic,” Matic said at a ministerial panel concluding the third Western Balkans Digital Summit.
Matic reminded that significant steps in the Digital Agenda for the Western Balkans have already been made with the implementation of the Agreement on Reducing the Price of Roaming Services in Public Mobile Communications Networks in the Western Balkans, signed at the second Digital Summit of the Western Balkans in Belgrade last year.
“Reducing the prices of roaming services and abolishing roaming based on the European model will bring financial savings and easier communication for citizens, while at the same time contributing to the development of the digital economy, regional cooperation and faster implementation of new technological solutions,” she said.
She pointed out that “Balkan networking is a natural and efficient way to achieve the common prosperity of the economies in the region and its connection with the single market of the European Union.”
“The threat posed by the pandemic caused another strong impetus for joint action and networking, as part of our long-standing commitment to regional cooperation and networking,” Matic concluded.
The Third Digital Summit was held as part of the Berlin Process and the Regional Economic Area Action Plan (MAP-REA) for the Western Balkans, with representatives of high-level regional governments, the European Commission, the Regional Cooperation Council, the business community and relevant actors. The topics of the summit were networking and services, trust and security, digital skills and the digital economy, Nova reports.
