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Shkruar nga PamfletiGerman Chancellor Friedrich Merz acknowledged that the European Union's enlargement process has been moving too slowly in recent years. He called for new ideas to bring the Western Balkans closer to the EU and stressed that Brussels must also show readiness for enlargement.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, at the summit of the Western Balkan countries with the EU in Tivat, said that the European Union's enlargement process is too slow and that new ideas are needed to further encourage the countries of the region to implement reforms.
He warned that the European Union must also show that it is capable of further expansion.
He also confirmed that the German-French initiative will be on the table during the meeting of EU and Western Balkans leaders.
"Of course, there are a number of questions that we need to answer and that we need to answer together. But everything shows that this part of Europe has a European perspective and belongs to the European Union. If we have not accepted any new members for 13 years, this shows that there are shortcomings on the part of the European Union as well. This is exactly what we want to overcome today," the German Chancellor said before the summit.
Merz confirmed that he had held a number of meetings with representatives from the region before the summit. He expressed hope that an agreement would be reached among the participants so that new ideas could then be implemented in Brussels.
"I am encouraged by the discussions we had this morning. However, we still have a lot to do. However, the work is achievable. Some countries, and especially the host country, have already reached a level where we can achieve joint results very quickly. I hope this will happen," said Friedrich Merz.
Meanwhile, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said today in Tivat that the European Union will not be complete without the Western Balkans.
In her opening speech at the EU-Western Balkans Summit, she said that the entire Western Balkans is at the heart of the history of the European Union.
"And your country is at the heart of the European Union - and that is precisely why we are meeting for the second time in the last six months. Today we are taking great steps towards building a more independent European Union, a more secure, more resilient and complete union, and it will not be complete without the Western Balkans," von der Leyen said.
As she added, this is why this summit is so important.
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