EU conditional Enlargement

But, according to the statement, which Radio Free Europe has seen, expected to be approved at the summit, held on 6 October between the EU and the countries of the Western Balkans, the enlargement process will be based on reforms “creditable by partners, fair and rigorous conditioning and based on individual merit principles”.

“We also reiterate the importance of the EU maintaining and deepening its development, making sure of its capacity to integrate new members”, the statement said.

At this summit, Kosovo will be represented by Prime Minister Albin Kurti.

Of the Balkan states, Montenegro and Serbia have mostly advanced on the road to the EU, meanwhile, Albania and Northern Macedonia have not yet opened membership negotiations, as Bulgaria has ruled veto, due to disagreements it has with official Skopje in terms of Macedonian identity, history and language.

Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina remain last, where no steps have been made towards opening membership negotiations. In Kosovo's case, there are five EU states (Spanja, Greece, Cyprus, Slovakia and Romania), which still do not recognise Kosovo's independence, and the EU takes a neutral stance on Kosovo's status.

In this document, the term “partner” refers to the states of the Western Balkans. The statement also states say that these states should undertake a series of reforms and re-inflammatory the commitment of these states to democracy, respect for fundamental rights and rule of law, fight against organised crime and corruption, good governance, gender equality and respect for the rights of non-US communities.

Kosovo-Serbia report normalisation critical for region stability

The EU highlights good neighbourly relations, including implementation of the Prespa Agreement between Greece and Northern Macedonia, the agreement on good neighbourly relations between Skopje and Sofia, and dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, seeking to resolve bilateral disputes, dating back.

“We fully support the EU special envoy's efforts for the Pristina-Belgrade dialogue (v.j. Miroslav Lajcak) and we expect concrete progress on both sides in the full normalisation of relations, which is critical for the stability and development of the entire region, and to ensure that they can continue on their respective ways towards the EU”, the statement said.

The dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, which started in 2011, is reportedly aimed at reaching a comprehensive, legally binding agreement for normalising the reports.

EU, <x0parter and largest donor”

The Brdo Summit statement says the EU so far is the closest partner and investor and the main donor of the Western Balkan region.

It also mentions the assistance the European bloc has given to Western Balkan states during the COVID-19, which points out that 2.9 million doses have been donated, in promise that it will continue to contribute in this regard.

EU investments mention the Economic Investment Plan and the implementation of the Green Agency for Western Balkan countries, where over the next seven years the EU will invest about 30m euros. The European bloc said it is essential that efforts focus on the effective transition from coal use and use less carbon or renewable resources.

The EU also calls on Balkan states to adhere to commitments made at the 2020 Sofia Summit for the creation of the joint regional market.

This would help advance the region on the European road and bring benefits to citizens and businesses”, the statement said.

Migrating

The statement also mentions the security challenges facing the EU and the Western Balkans, such as hybrid threats, dezinforms, organised crime, radicalism and others, which require closer co-operation.

Migrating management is also cited as a common challenge, with particular emphasis posing “the serious situation in Afghanistan”.

“The EU will work with all partners, including those of the Western Balkans, to respond to challenges and co-operate the joint response”, says the statement, when it comes to Afghanistan.

Kosovo, Albania, Northern Macedonia are among the states that have admitted Afghan refugees who fled the state after the Taliban took over.

Afghans, who have collaborated with foreign missions, will remain temporarily in these states until their documents are adjusted for a longer term in the United States or other NATO states.

The summit in Brdo will be organised by the Slovenian EU presidency. This summit is part of the EU's strategy for engagement with the Western Balkans that is in line with the 2019-2024 Strategic Agency and is held after the 2020 and Zagreb Summit, held through video conference due to the COVID-19 pandemic. /rel/