Sánchez underlines EU support for the Western Balkans and its path to accession at Albania leaders summit

Tirana (Albania)

This intergovernmental cooperation forum, created in 2014 as a platform for cooperation between representatives of the Western Balkans on their path towards accession to the EU, was also attended by Ursula Von der Leyen and Charles Michel representing the European Commission and the Council, respectively.

Following the significant progress made at the Granada Summit in addressing the future enlargement of the EU to include countries such as those in the Balkan region, and bearing in mind that Spain holds the presidency of the Council of the EU, President Sánchez played an active role at this latest meeting between leaders.

During the opening session of the summit, he emphasised the present crucial moment for the continent, following the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. In this respect, he stressed that the Granada meeting laid the foundations for the beginning of the debate on the adaptation of the EU to a future enlarged EU, underlining that the Berlin Process is precisely the expression of the region's commitment in this direction. Pedro Sánchez also recalled that this meeting in Tirana is taking place at a decisive moment for the international community, emphasising that Europe is today an example of good dialogue and cooperation between neighbours.

Family photo of the acting President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, with the leaders attending the summit | Pool Moncloa/Fernando Calvo

The acting president condemned Hamas's attack on Israel before the other leaders, underlining the country's legitimate right to defend itself in accordance with international and humanitarian law. He reiterated that the language of violence and conflict is the opposite of what Europe stands for, stressing that both the protection of civilians and the access of international aid to those in need, especially in the Gaza Strip, are essential. Pedro Sánchez also conveyed the importance of making every effort to avoid an escalation of violence in the region and to achieve a solution between Israel and Palestine, and in this context he reiterated that the only way to resolve this conflict is the recognition of two states that coexist in peace and security.

The acting president took part in a leaders' lunch and had the opportunity to reiterate, as the country currently holding the presidency of the Council, the EU's full support for the Western Balkans and their path towards accession. To this effect, he underlined the importance of the integration of the Balkan region into the single market, one of the EU's greatest added values, and stressed that this integration translates into access to a market of more than 400 million consumers.

Sánchez also referred to the New Growth Plan for the Western Balkans, which the Commission will present before the end of the year, stressing that the EU will help the region to implement all the reforms necessary to make this plan a reality. Furthermore, he underlined that the Common Regional Market will be essential to interconnect 18 million people, to contribute to the rapprochement between the region and the EU and to foster convergence within the Western Balkans.

The acting President Sánchez also took the opportunity presented by the summit to remind the other leaders of two main objectives of the Berlin Process, namely the resolution of outstanding bilateral issues and reconciliation within the societies of the region. In this respect, he recalled that these objectives are not an end in themselves, but they serve a clear purpose: to bring the region closer to the EU. In this context, Pedro Sánchez emphasised the importance of good neighbourly relations, stressing that these are essential elements of the enlargement process. To this effect, the president conveyed that the Berlin Process is an opportunity to highlight the importance of regional cooperation, with the aim of developing policies that consolidate reconciliation and promote collaboration between neighbouring countries, key elements for strengthening the European perspective of the region.

Sánchez also had the opportunity to remind the other leaders of the importance of the accession process for the member states of the region that are geographically closest to the Balkans, stressing that accessions throughout history have proven to be beneficial both for the new member and for EU as a whole. In this regard, he called on all leaders to take advantage of the Berlin Process as a channel of dialogue for a strong and fruitful neighbourly relationship.

Non official translation