During their summit in London on 10 July, the participants in the Berlin Process signed a declaration on regional cooperation and good neighbourly relations.
In the declarations, they reiterate their desire to resolve bilateral questions that are still open "in a spirit of good neighbourliness" and with "a shared commitment to European integration". The parties also commit not to misuse outstanding issues to block, or to encourage others to block, the progress of their neighbours on their respective path to EU accession.
The conclusions of the British Chair of the Berlin Process particularly congratulate the prime ministers of Greece, Alexis Tsipras, and Macedonia, Zoran Zaev, on the "historic agreement" of 17 June and the measures taken to implement this agreement.
The conclusions also set out the priorities of the Process, stating that prosperity and connectivity (including in terms of digital exchanges) are at the heart of the agenda and are "vital for the region’s success". "We agreed that the connectivity agenda should remain a core element of the Berlin Process (...) and agreed the need to strengthen economic ties between Western Balkans six economies, Berlin Process partners and EU institutions", the conclusions state. They highlight the power of transformation of the regional economic area. The British Chair also hailed the commitments taken by the Western Balkans to tackle corruption and organised crime, and to underline the importance of young people.
Reiterating the many security threats to the Western Balkans, the participants expressed their resolve to deepen regional cooperation and the need to support and strengthen the many existing mechanisms for cooperation. They also agreed that cooperation with the partners of the Western Balkans region, and support to these partners, were essential for the exchange of information on migration flows and the prevention of illegal migration. "Capacities for border protection and for the improvement of return and readmission procedures need to be enhanced", they add.
Two other joint declarations were also signed at the summit – one on missing persons, and the other on war crimes.
The next summit will take place in Poland next summer. During the ministerial level meeting on 9 July, Jacek Czaputowicz announced that the priorities of his country's Chairmanship of the Berlin Process would be connectivity, the security project, trade, education and local governance.
The declarations can be consulted here: https://bit.ly/2uaVeFG and the Chair's conclusions here: https://bit.ly/2KXgjxf . (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)