At the end of April, the European Investment Bank (EIB) co-organised the eighth International Research Conference on Building Resilience in Times of Crisis: The Role of Policies. The conference was organised in cooperation with the National Bank of North Macedonia and held on the 30^th anniversary of North Macedonia’s monetary sovereignty. The event dealt with current challenges, uncertainty arising from post-pandemic policy adjustments, and the policy response needed for tackling the expanding commodity and energy shocks triggered by the war in Ukraine. It illustrated the reinforced cooperation of the EIB – the lending arm of the EU – with its partners in North Macedonia and the support the Bank has been providing for the country’s economic stability and EU integration process for over 40 years.

EIB Vice-President Lilyana Pavlova stressed that, as the EU’s bank, the EIB is ready to support the Western Balkans region in overcoming current challenges. “Besides financing the construction of more secure and diverse energy networks, we are helping the region to increase its resilience to climate change and develop new sustainable projects under the European Commission’s Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans. Last year, the EIB unlocked €257 million to support decarbonisation and the transition to the green economy in the region,” she said.

The international conference welcomed over 40 participants including governors and board members of central banks, senior officials of international financial institutions and representatives of the regional and international academic community.