The leaders of the Western Balkans countries, meeting in Skopje on Monday 11 September as part of the Brdo Brijuni process, called for the process of integration into the European Union to be accelerated and highlighted the reforms that need to be carried out, both on their side and on that of the EU.
The six leaders supported the objective suggested by European Council President Charles Michel at the end of August, that the EU should be “prepared by 2030” for enlargement (see EUROPE 13237/8), as should the Western Balkans countries.
In their joint declaration issued at the end of the meeting, the leaders also stressed that against a backdrop of major geopolitical challenges and the need to maintain stability and peace, the EU should “prevent the region being left behind”.
They pledged to “intensify efforts in implementing reforms in the Western Balkans aimed at enhancing the rule of law, prosperity, the functioning of democratic institutions and public administration”. They also spoke of the “significance” of the citizens of the region’s countries “reaching tangible benefits and opportunities even before the formal accession” to the Union.
“We therefore invite the EU to consider opening pathways that will enable the Western Balkans to explore opportunities by accessing specific EU policies, initiatives and funds, and bring some of the benefits of EU membership to the people of the Western Balkans already today”, they said.
In addition, the leaders expressed their commitment to combating the effects of climate change, notably through a more rapid transition to renewable energies.
“We will support investments in climate-resilient and environmentally sustainable infrastructure, and disaster preparedness measures”, they added, as Slovenia, Croatia and Serbia were hit hard by flooding this summer.
See the declaration: https://aeur.eu/f/8in (Original version in French by Thomas Mangin)