\n
<\/p>\n
This week’s summit in Sofia has confirmed the European prospects of
\nthe Western Balkans region and has established a series of clear actions to
\nconsolidate cooperation in the field of connectivity, security and the rule of
\nlaw.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
\n
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The summit was the first in this format in the last 15 years and
\nbrought together EU heads of state and government and their counterparts from
\nAlbania, Bosnia Hertegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, Macedonia and Kosovo. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
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\n
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The summit may be a symbolic act<\/em>, but it can again trigger a
<\/p>\n
I am in favour of anchoring the Balkans in Europe and
<\/p>\n
We must help the countries that
<\/p>\n
So far, accession talks have begun with Montenegro, in 2012,
<\/p>\n
This is but one example of the tensions existing in a region
The European Union has confirmed the European prospects of the Western Balkans, but has requested reforms. This is the conclusion of the EU-Western Balkans summit held in Sofia<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":108,"featured_media":77757,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[37738],"tags":[29966,28945,29589],"coauthors":[],"class_list":["post-77756","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-today-in-the-news","tag-european-union","tag-klaus-iohannis","tag-montenegro"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
\nlittle more dynamism, said the Austrian chancellor Sebastian Kurz, whose
\ncountry will take over the rotating EU presidency from Bulgaria in July. If there is no European perspective in the Balkans,
\nthen the Turkish influence and other influence becomes stronger and
\nstronger, Kurz also said. <\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
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\nmoving toward Europe. But I think we need to look at any new enlargement with a
\nlot of prudence and rigor, said the French president
\nEmmanuel Macron, one of the European leaders whose statements have poured cold
\nwater on the hopes of the Balkan countries about a possible fast entry into the
\nEuropean Union. <\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
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\nare reforming and moving towards Europe, Macron also said, adding that before
\nconsidering any possible enlargement, the European Union must first achieve
\nreal reform itself allowing for deeper integration and better functioning of
\nthe 27 member states after Britain’s exit in 2019. <\/p>\n
\n
\n
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\nand with Serbia, in 2014. Before moving forward, the Balkan countries must make
\nsure there is greater stability among them – was another message that came from
\nSofia. Brussels’ worries are linked, among others, to the tensions between
\nSerbia and its former province Kosovo, whose unilateral declaration of
\nindependence a decade ago is yet to be recognised by five member states,
\nincluding Romania. <\/p>\n
\n
\n
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\nthat has not fully stabilised two decades after the dismantling of the former
\nYugoslavia. President Klaus Iohannis, Romania’s representative at the summit in
\nSofia said the final declaration reflected the Union’s commitment to the
\nWestern Balkans and its adherence to the own merits principle, in the sense
\nthat each partner is assessed individually depending on its own results. <\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"