Like Serbian President Alexandar Vučić the day before, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama on Friday 20 May supported French President Emmanuel Macron’s proposal, taken up by European Council President Charles Michel, for a European Political Community (see EUROPE 12955/24).
“We have to overcome this phase where all relations go through the accession process, the negotiation chapters, and take a step forward to bring the Western Balkans much closer together politically”, Mr Rama said at a press conference with Mr Michel in Tirana.
He felt that this community would be an immediate political integration, with the participation of the Balkan countries in decision-making processes on security or in dealing with crises “in order to live together as one community”. In his view, the establishment of such a community would also put an end to the paranoia that the EU is keeping the Western Balkans at bay.
This community “can accelerate full integration into the EU”, Mr Vučić said on Thursday at a press conference with Mr Michel in Belgrade, thereby opposing voices that worry that this community will replace the enlargement process. “Seeing each other twice a year (...), attending big summits, is a huge change and an important thing”, he said.
In the meantime, a summit of EU and Balkan leaders will be held on 23 June in Brussels. “We want to strengthen our dialogue and deepen our cooperation for peace, stability and security”, Mr Michel said.
Serbia. Speaking to the media on Thursday, Mr Vučić reiterated that “Serbia’s commitment is to be on the European path and its goal is to become an EU member”. For him, it is a “question of reason”.
The Serbian President recalled, for example, that in 2021, trade and services between the EU and Serbia amounted to €37 billion, and that this year it should be even higher. “The biggest investor in Serbia is the EU”, he said.
Mr Michel reaffirmed the EU’s full commitment to Serbia’s accession.
Mr Vučić also promised to do his best to protect peace and stability in the region and stressed his commitment to dialogue with Pristina.
He also recalled the complicated energy situation in his country. Mr Michel recalled that the Serbia-Bulgaria gas interconnector, operational since January, would help diversify Serbia’s gas supply, and that the Western Balkans had been invited to join its new joint gas, hydrogen and LNG supply platform.
Albania. On Friday, Mr Rama once again called for the opening of EU accession negotiations for his country. They are blocked due to a dispute between North Macedonia and Bulgaria.
“We do not ask to be separated from North Macedonia as long as there are possibilities for Bulgaria to open the way”, the Prime Minister explained. However, he added, if there is no decision by the end of June, his country will ask for the process to be decoupled.
“Albania has met all the conditions for the opening of accession negotiations. Accession talks should start as soon as possible”, Mr Michel stressed. Hoping that the issue would be resolved by the end of June, he felt that if it was not, the situation would have to be reassessed.
The President of the European Council also recalled that the EU remains Albania’s main trading partner and provider of financial assistance. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)