Berlin Process

On the sidelines of the meeting of EU affairs ministers in Luxembourg, Szijjrt said that the enlargement policy is one of the most important EU policies, reports MTI.
According to him, the Union will pursue "policies contrary to its interests" if it fails to speed up accession talks with Serbia-Montenegro and if it delays the start of negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania.

"The European perspective continues to be a major driver of change in the Western Balkan countries and young people and the civil society in these countries play a key  role in this process," said caretaker Foreign Minister Svetlan Stoev on Tuesday.

An agreement between Belgrade and Pristina would not only improve regional stability, but would also open up the prospects of "two countries" separately for EU membership, Heiko Maas, German Minister of Foreign Affairs said.

Brdo pri Kranju – President Borut Pahor will host a summit of the Brdo-Brijuni Process in Brdo pri Kranju on Monday featuring his counterparts from Croatia, Albania, Montenegro, Kosovo, North Macedonia and Serbia and the presiding trio of Bosnia-Herzegovina. The meeting, marking the 10th anniversary of the initiative, is to reaffirm committent to EU enlargement.

European Union leaders host a summit with six Balkan counterparts on Wednesday. Here are some facts about the six Balkan aspirants:

Albania

The European Union agreed in March that Albania, already a member of NATO, can formally start membership negotiations. Once underway, possibly later in 2020, they could still take many years.

Bosnia

Croatia, the youngest EU member, vowed to advocate for the bloc's Balkan enlargement, and pledged to work for "a strong Europe in a world of challenges" in the upcoming six months, after taking over the European Council's rotating presidency on Jan. 1.

Reconciliation, regional cooperation and maintaining good neighbourly relations are key factors for the European integration of the Western Balkans, Prime Minister Boyko Borissov said in his speech at the leaders meeting within the Strategic Dialogue for the Western Balkans, hosted by the World Economic Forum in Geneva, the government press office reported.

EU leaders meeting in Brussels on Friday failed to persuade France to allow a hoped-for start to accession talks for North Macedonia and Albania - and also failed to agree on a written conclusion, which, in the absence of a date for EU talks, would have sent a positive message to Skopje and Tirana about their further engagement in the process.

The European integration of the Western Balkan countries will strengthen the European Union and consolidate peace, solidarity, prosperity in the Balkan region, Prime Minister and Chairperson of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) Viorica Dancila stated at the signing event of the Joint Declaration on the integration of the Western Balkans countries in the EU.

Romania and the Social Democratic Party (PSD) will be the permanent and involved advocates of the EU's expansion to the Western Balkans, the PSD's leader, Prime Minister Viorica Dancila, stated on Tuesday, at the Regional Forum with the topic "The Integration of the Western Balkans in the European Union", organized by the Social Democratic Party at the Palace of the Parliament.