Culture ministries from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia met under the Berlin Process framework and adopted a Joint Declaration on the Creative Economy, highlighting culture and creativity as key drivers of economic growth, innovation, and social cohesion.
For the first time within the Berlin Process, the creative economy has been formally recognised as a strategic sector. The ministries committed to strengthening regional cooperation, improving data collection and monitoring systems, and promoting the sector’s contribution to employment and sustainable development.
The declaration urges governments to align cultural, educational, and economic policies, create stable public funding mechanisms, attract private investment, and facilitate access to EU and international programmes such as the Western Balkans Growth Plan and Horizon Europe.
The meeting was co-organised by the Ministry of Culture and Media of Montenegro, the UK’s Special Envoy for the Western Balkans, and the British Council. It highlighted the increasing relevance of creative industries in the region’s digital transition and economic transformation.
Building on this momentum, the British Council will launch a regional creative fund later this year to support entrepreneurs in scaling their ideas and expanding access to international markets.
The forum concluded with a shared understanding that the creative economy holds significant potential to support inclusive growth and deepen regional ties.