Western Balkans in historical momentum towards European perspective


The Western Balkans is in a historical momentum related to the European perspective, which will begin in Jan. 2018 and should be completed by 2025, Deputy PM for European Affairs Bujar Osmani said at conference “The Future of Berlin Process.”

It will define the framework which will be announced by the EC President Jean-Claude Juncker in February, and the perspective for enlargement never has never been more realistic in the history as the enlargement perspective of the Western Balkans in the EU, Osmani said.

He said that the Berlin process is an important platform for achieving synergies between the individual efforts of the six Western Balkan countries, but ii is a platform as one step towards enlargement, and not as an alternative to enlargement. He said that it is a mechanism to make these countries more prepared to become members of the EU.

Zoran Necev from Institute for Democracy “Societas Civilis” Skopje said that in addition to the existing mechanisms within the process, it is necessary to involve the civil sector closely in monitoring the process itself and the national parliaments.

Igor Bandovic, Senior Manager at the European Fund for the Balkans, said that Montenegro has made the highest progress in the EU integration process and that they expect the opening of all negotiation chapters during Bulgaria’s EU presidency on January 1, while Serbia has several problematic chapters such as Kosovo, reforms in the judiciary and the rule of law.

British Ambassador Charles Garrett said that at this stage, Berlin process will have areas of focus such as interconnection of the region through projects in transport and energy, entrepreneurship and digital technology, developing opportunities for youth and safety, including here the economic crime.

Garrett announced the next conference of the Berlin Process will be held in July 2018 in London.

The Berlin Process is a diplomatic initiative linked to the future enlargement of the European Union, which aims at revitalizing the multilateral ties between the Western Balkans and selected EU member states, and at improving regional cooperation in the Western Balkans on the issues of infrastructural and economic development.