On Wednesday 20 October, the European Union and the United States announced that they had agreed to further strengthen their joint engagement in the Western Balkans in support of the region’s progress on its European path.
In a joint statement issued by the European External Action Service and the US State Department, the EU and the US underlined their full support for the EU enlargement process. “EU accession, a stated priority for the whole Western Balkans, helps consolidate democratic institutions, protect fundamental rights, and advance the Rule of law”, they said.
The EU and the US called for accession negotiations with Albania and North Macedonia to start “without delay”.
They also stressed the importance of the EU-facilitated dialogue between Serbia and Kosovo, encouraging both sides to engage in continued and sustained de-escalation and to avoid actions that threaten stability.
In addition, the EU and the US called on all political forces in Montenegro to work together to maintain a strategic orientation on making the reforms necessary for membership.
Finally, they called on all parties in Bosnia and Herzegovina to respect and protect state institutions, to resume a constructive dialogue, and to take steps to advance progress on the EU integration path.
See the press release: https://bit.ly/3vuyBdN (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)