The annual meeting of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) will bring together the Western Balkan leaders in Sarajevo at the beginning of May, alongside leading experts and decision-makers.

On May 8, Chairman of Bosnia’s Council of Ministers Denis Zvizdic and EBRD President Suma Chakrabarti will open the event, which will be attended by the heads of state of Montenegro, Kosovo and Serbia as well as the prime ministers of Albania and North Macedonia.

The EBRD’s 2019 Annual Meeting and Business Forum will focus on the ways to connect economies for strong growth and impact, both in the Western Balkans and beyond. This year’s theme is Connecting Economies for Stronger Growth, the Bank said on its official website.

“This EBRD’s summit organises a new different way of regional cooperation, which means the continuation of the regional integration led by the European Union, which is needed for the economic development of the region and its stability,” said the Bank.

Leaders will discuss various topics including the ways to overcome a gap between current degree of political devotion to regional integration and how it is translated into specific projects in the field.