EU is "only reliable partner" for Western Balkans, says Belgian PM
The European Union is "the only reliable and steadfast partner" for the countries of the Western Balkans, Belgian prime minister Alexander De Croo said in Brussels on Wednesday evening, before the start of the EU-Western Balkans summit.
"In today's geopolitical world, we have to make it clear that we are the only real partner the Western Balkans have, and that their aspirations to be part of the European Union are real," De Croo argued.
The Western Balkans consists of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Kosovo and Serbia. Since the Russian military invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the European enlargement policy towards these six countries has gained new momentum.
"We all believe that enlargement is the most geopolitical investment in peace, security and prosperity," said Antonio Costa, the new president of the European Council. While his predecessor Charles Michel suggested an enlargement by 2030, Costa did not put forward a concrete date.
"We all believe that enlargement is the most geopolitical investment in peace, security and prosperity"
Reforms matter
De Croo also stressed that EU accession should be based on the merits and concrete reforms of each candidate country. He is "not a fan" of a situation like in 2004, when 10 countries joined the bloc at once. Montenegrin president Jakov Milatovic agreed, saying that "geopolitics plays an important role, but reforms matter too."
"Geopolitics plays an important role, but reforms matter too"
Montenegro, the frontrunner in the accession negotiations, wants to join in 2028. This would be the first enlargement of the bloc since Croatia in 2013. According to Milatovic, it would "send a strong and clear signal to everyone else that the enlargement process is still alive and that reforms are paying off".
PHOTO © JOHN THYS / AFP
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