On Thursday 4 November, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama and Deputy Prime Minister of North Macedonia Nikola Dmitrov called on the EU to engage more with the Western Balkans region as the enlargement process stalls.
“Today’s world is changing rapidly. It is time to act and to act decisively”, they warned in a statement issued after a meeting in Belgrade, adding that “inaction is not an option”.
According to the leaders, “the EU should and must explore all avenues for further integration of the Western Balkans in the run-up to accession.”
They proposed the inclusion of the region in the development of EU trade and fiscal policies, such as the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism and the steel safeguard measures. The possibility of exempting the Western Balkans from various trade policy measures could be explored, as could the inclusion of the region’s universities in the European Higher Education Area and the European Research Area. “At the same time, our agriculture is underfunded, with a vast potential to develop and provide high quality products to the EU market,” the leaders explained.
For the Serbian, Macedonian and Albanian representatives, participation in Schengen and the gradual integration of the region into the EU single market should be explored.
In addition, at their meeting, the leaders agreed on the creation of an inter-ministerial council that will coordinate the implementation of the ‘Open Balkans’ initiative. This ‘Mini-Schengen’ initiative is intended to facilitate the movement and passage of goods and people between the three countries and border controls are to be abolished from January 2023. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)