Michel: War in Ukraine restores geopolitics of EU enlargement towards Western Balkans

European Council President Charles Michel said in Tirana on Monday that Russian aggression in Ukraine has made the expansion of the European Union (EU) a necessity for the defense of the world order.

“Russia’s war against Ukraine has refocused our attention on the geopolitics of expansion and the Western Balkans,” he said. “Now, more than ever, we must stand together to defend the international order always and everywhere, to build on what unites us, and to support the people of Ukraine,” Michel said at the Berlin Process Summit.

The summit is held under the auspices of the Berlin Process, which was launched in 2014 to advance the Western Balkans’ membership in the EU. The process was initiated by Angela Merkel as German Chancellor, but this is the first time the summit has been held in a country in the region.

Michel said bilateral conflicts should not hinder integration. “Their solution may be more painful than the reforms, but it must be done.” Don’t let the ghosts of the past steal your future. The recent tensions between Serbia and Kosovo have brought this to the forefront once again. In fact, follow the same path as the founding members of our Union. Without reconciliation, there is no cooperation. Without reconciliation, there is no sustainable future. “We all know that reconciliation requires political courage and a sincere look at the future,” he said.

The 2003 European Council summit in the Greek city of Thessaloniki set the integration of the Western Balkans as a priority for EU enlargement.

Two decades later, Michel said the Berlin process now plays an important role in promoting operational cooperation between Western Balkan partners and the EU, with EU integration as a guide.

“In the Western Balkans, your path towards the EU started more than 20 years ago. And yes, it has been a slow, very slow and frustrating road for you in the region and for us in the EU. But now we all feel, we all know that it’s time to keep our promise. “We have already revived the process, but we still have a lot to prepare, from both sides,” Michel stressed.

He addressed the representatives of the six EU accession candidates and reminded them that they have to fulfill their tasks – starting with the necessary reforms.

“And in the EU, we need to prepare to welcome new members.” I believe that by 2030 we should be ready to expand on both sides. “I know that this deadline is met with some skepticism in your region because you have been waiting for it for a long time,” Michel said.

In the EU, he said, not everyone is in favor of giving a date. “Expansion is and always will be a merit-based process, and setting a date got the ball rolling,” he said. “It is an encouragement for the Western Balkan countries to redouble their efforts to carry out the urgent and necessary reforms, and for us from the EU side to start this serious debate on the future of the EU,” he said.

Michael promised that the EU would help the countries of the Western Balkans integrate more quickly into the Union.

“First, through gradual integration into EU policies, so that the benefits for your people are felt more quickly – including during the accession process.” This integration can take place in a number of areas, notably the common market and economic cooperation. We have created ambitious frameworks that support alignment with the EU acquis. We must use these to enter future member states,” Michel said.

Second, he continued, the completion of the Common Regional Market would boost economic growth and trade in the Western Balkans and make it more attractive for investment. “I am pleased that a new agreement on professional qualifications will be signed today,” he said. “We also hope that the three regional mobility agreements will soon be ratified by all countries, as this will benefit both the Western Balkans and the EU,” Michel added.

In his opinion, the focus in the future will be on the European spirit for the EU-Western Balkans Summit, which will be held soon in December in Brussels.

“Our people – especially our youth – want a better, more optimistic future. A fair future, successful and full of opportunities. I am sure we can make a difference. It is time to do it together for the good of our entire continent. You can count on our sincere cooperation and commitment,” Michel said.

Otherwise, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and other heads of state and government have also arrived in Tirana, meeting in the Albanian capital to discuss the integration of the Western Balkans into the EU. Scholz is accompanying EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and other leaders on the road to membership for the six countries in the region. The two leaders will hold talks with leaders of Balkan countries, including Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo, northern Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, on the other hand, did not attend the summit. Vučić has traveled to China, where he will participate in the third Belt and Road Forum.

In his place, Prime Minister Ana Brnabić traveled to Tirana.

As previously announced, Kosovo was represented at the summit by Albin Kurti. /The Geopost/