EU chief says investment plan for Western Balkan candidate members will require reforms

SKOPJE, North Macedonia (AP) — The European Commission’s top official says a decade-long investment package for Western Balkan countries that are seeking to join the bloc could vastly improve the region’s economy. But she also stressed that the assistance is conditioned on required reforms by these countries. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen discussed the proposed 6-billion-euro package Monday during a visit to North Macedonia’s capital, Skopje, at the start of a four-day trip to the region. At a news conference with Prime Minister Dimitar Kovachevski, von der Leyen has said the EU package has the potential to double North Macedonia’s economy within a decade.