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Friends of the Western Balkans: It’s time for decisive progress in the region’s Euro-integration

by AI | 16.Dec 2024 | Europe in brief AI

Only by integrating this region into our EU family can we ensure the stability and prosperity of our continent, the letter states.

Flags of the Western Balkan countries in front of the EC building. Photo: MIA Archive

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Brussels – The foreign and European affairs ministers of Austria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Greece, Italy, Slovakia, and Slovenia, as part of the Friends of the Western Balkans group, sent a joint letter to the head of European diplomacy Kaia Kallas and the Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos, stating that it is time for decisive progress in integrating the Western Balkans into the EU and presenting concrete steps to support the region on its path to the EU.

In the letter to Kallas and Kos, the Friends of the Western Balkans state that “with Russia’s aggressive war against Ukraine and other security challenges for our continent, the enlargement policy, one of the EU’s most effective geopolitical tools, has gained a new and powerful impetus.” As the ministers point out, in this sense, the Western Balkans will be a geostrategic litmus test for the European Union. – Only by integrating this region into our EU family can we ensure stability and prosperity for our continent, the letter states.

It expresses full support for the decision of the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, to entrust Commissioner Kos to advance the enlargement process “in the next critical years, building on the renewed momentum” and to work on gradual integration.

– We will continue to support an even more dynamic, credible, and efficient enlargement process. The time has come for decisive progress, and we will continue to assist the region in achieving the essential steps on the path to EU accession, the letter states.

The ministers call for the establishment of a clear agenda and timeframe for the full implementation of the Growth Plan and the advancement of gradual integration into the single market, as well as into other EU policies, when all necessary conditions are fulfilled. The Friends of the Western Balkans believe that this should provide a tangible perspective for EU membership and produce more visible results for the citizens of the Western Balkans, especially the youth, as well as contribute to strengthening their support for the EU.

To achieve these goals, they encourage partners from the Western Balkans to accelerate the necessary reforms, engage in regional cooperation, promote good neighborly relations through reconciliation and resolution of open issues, and implement a joint regional market that is a “springboard to the single market.” (December 16) 

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