Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama was joined by representatives of all six regions as well as officials from the EU and neighboring states on Monday, October 23rd in Albanian capital.
The Berlin Process was established in 2014 as a platform for all Western Balkans states (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo*, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia) (WB6) to accelerate closer alignment with the EU and deepen regional integration and cooperation, as a key to economic growth and peace in the Western Balkans. “The future of the Western Balkans is in the European Union. This promise still applies, and it applies now more than ever,” said German Federal Chancellor Scholz at the summit. Hungarian President Novák said that Hungary would do everything it could to ensure that the Western Balkan countries can join the EU as soon as possible.
A collaborative spirit marked discussions on bridging the socio-economic gap between the Western Balkans and the EU. Security issues were also highlighted, with an emphasis on deeper regional cooperation and enhanced information sharing to tackle organized crime and strengthen cybersecurity.
Some aims might be reached but the work for the big goal will continue as all the participants concluded. The Summit of 2024 will be hosted by Germany, marking the 10th anniversary of the Berlin Process.
*this designation is without prejudice to the positions expressed by the EU Member States on Kosovo’s status and is in line with United Nations Security Council Resolution No. 1244/1999 and the International Court of Justice Opinion of 22 July 2010 on Kosovo’s declaration of independence.