The foreign ministers of the EU Member States met with their counterparts from the six Western Balkan countries on Monday 22 May. While Ukraine was at the centre of discussions at this Council of Ministers (see other news), part of the debate focused on the importance of aligning the countries of the region with the EU’s sanctions against Russia.
“We discussed Russian influence, which is trying to derail the European path of the Western Balkan candidates”, commented EU High Representative Josep Borrell.
In these discussions, attention was focused on those Balkan states that are “not fully aligned yet, or not aligned at all ” with EU policy on sanctions against Russia. “I want to mention notably Serbia. It is also damaging to its own national interests, but certainly it is not compatible with the accession process towards the European Union”, Borrell said.
The issue of the EU accession process of the Western Balkan states also occupied the foreign ministers. On this point, the EU High Representative stressed the importance of normalisation of relations between Belgrade and Pristina.
“I had to explain that being a member of the EU is an exercise in cooperation. It is an exercise of States that were fighting in the past to become not only neighbours, [but also] friends, partners”, Borrell summarised, stressing the importance of implementing the agreement on the normalisation of relations between their two countries (see EUROPE 13145/5).
Earlier in the day, several ministers had already indicated that this issue would be addressed. “I place the need to complete the reforms at the top of my list; it is time to move forward. Similarly, we must resolve the few bilateral difficulties that may exist between certain countries”, said French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna on her arrival at the EU Council.
The meeting between the ministers of the EU27 and their counterparts from the Western Balkans was also an opportunity for the future Spanish Presidency of the Council of the EU to announce that it will organise a meeting between the foreign ministers of the EU and those of the Western Balkans during its mandate. This meeting should serve to “advance the common agenda”, said the Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares Bueno. (Original version in French by Thomas Mangin)