The European Union vowed to help double the economy of the Western Balkans over the next ten years, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Monday.

At the start of a tour around the region, von der Leyen revealed details of a six billion euros ($6.35 billion) growth plan for the Western Balkans to "bring our economies closer".

"The growth plan will boost your economy, most importantly it will create good jobs and it will support you in parallel on your path towards the European Union," von der Leyen said in Skopje, during a press conference with the North Macedonia Prime Minister Dimitar Kovacevski.

"This plan has the potential to double your economy in ten years -- that's the goal".

The growth plan includes several stages, including opening up a part of the European single market plus introducing a common regional market, reforming parts of the administration and justice system, as well as moves to battle corruption.

Von der Leyen said the measures were both "reforms and investments."

"We have very good experience of this principle within the European Union," she said. "It works very well. So we said to ourselves: why not extend this principle to our friends in the Western Balkans?"

North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Albania and Bosnia are currently all candidates to join the European Union, all at different stages of possible integration.