Six western Balkan countries Tuesday signed up to join Horizon 2020, the EU's new seven-year research and innovation programme.
The countries are Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, and the Republic of Moldova, Xinhua reported.
The six countries, all of which have cooperated on research and innovation with the EU through the seventh framework programme (FP7), signed association agreements in Brussels together with Robert-Jan Smits, director-general for Research and Innovation at the European Commission.
The association agreements, which would apply retroactively as from Jan 1, 2014, will allow research and innovation entities from the six countries to make use of the funding opportunities offered under Horizon 2020.