Officials from European countries sought to reassure Western Balkans nations that are hoping to join the European Union that the bloc still looks favorably on their aspirations.
Michael Roth, the German minister of state for Europe, on July 4 said Berlin supports the accession process of all the six regional countries "because for us, the Western Balkans is not the backyard of the European Union, but the inner courtyard.”
“We are all responsible for ensuring that the prospect of EU accession remains concrete," he said, speaking during a Western Balkan summit in the Polish city of Poznan.
At the opening of the two-day summit, Polish Foreign Minister Jacek Czaputowicz called for “stronger cooperation” between the EU and the six Western Balkan countries, saying it will help increase the “stability and development” of the region.
The gathering of foreign, interior, and economy ministers of the Western Balkan states will be joined on July 5 by EU leaders including German Chancellor Angela Merkel, British Prime Minister Theresa May, French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe, and Polish President Andrzej Duda.
In his comments, Roth called for a quick opening of delayed accession talks with North Macedonia and Albania.
Last month, EU member states postponed a decision on whether to open accession talks with the two small nations until October, amid resistance from some bloc members, including France and the Netherlands.
The four other Western Balkan countries seeking to join the EU are Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, and Kosovo.
Czaputowicz said that "including these countries in the main current of European integration will be fruitful for the entire EU and the entire continent as it will expand the domain of common values."
He said Poland backs the so-called Berlin Process, a German initiative designed to support the accession hopes of the Western Balkan countries.
European Leaders Seek To Reassure Western Balkans On Eventual EU Membership
- By RFE/RL
Editors' Picks
Top Trending
1
Putin Sends Signals To The West On Ukraine Ahead Of Trump's New Term
2Kyiv Says It Broke Up Russian Spy Network Targeting F-16 Fighter Data
3Ukraine Hits Kazan Buildings In Latest Display Of Drone Power
4Russia Moving Military Assets To Africa After Syria Setback
5What Would The Russian Capture Of Pokrovsk Mean For The Ukraine War?
6The Moment A Russian General Was Killed By A Scooter Bomb In Moscow
7'They Look Tense': Photographer Describes Scenes At Russian Base In Syria
8U.S., U.K. Say Medvedev's Comment Calling NATO Officials 'Legitimate Targets' Irresponsible
9Russian Uranium Stake In Kazakhstan Sold To China Amid Western Sanctions Risk
10Bolstered By North Korean Troops, Russia Presses Attacks in Kursk Region
RFE/RL has been declared an "undesirable organization" by the Russian government.
If you are in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine and hold a Russian passport or are a stateless person residing permanently in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine, please note that you could face fines or imprisonment for sharing, liking, commenting on, or saving our content, or for contacting us.
To find out more, click here.
