The Western Balkan countries have firmly reaffirmed their political commitment to the European Union (EU) accession process.
“Elchi” reports that this is stated in the declaration on the European integration of the Western Balkans, adopted at the 11th Delphi Economic Forum.
In the declaration, the Western Balkan countries called on Brussels to accelerate the accession process of these states to the European Union.
“We emphasize the importance of the integration of the Western Balkan countries into the EU as a strategic imperative for European security. In this context, we welcome the EU’s renewed focus on the enlargement process and the integration of the Western Balkans into the union as a geostrategic investment in peace, security, stability, and prosperity in our region and on our continent,” the statement emphasized.
The declaration, which draws attention to the necessity of effective integration and tangible support from the EU to its Western Balkan partners in the fight against hybrid threats and disinformation campaigns, highlighted the importance of alignment with EU legislation, including the union’s common foreign and security policy.
The statement also called for further simplification of trade procedures between the EU and the Western Balkan countries.