Merkel: Kosovo, other Balkan states have much work to do for EU membership

She at a news conference in Berlin with the theme on “The Berlin Process Summit in the Western Balkans 2021<18x1> has talked about the Western Balkan countries' membership process and the work they are doing in this direction.

Merkel has suggested that there is much work to be done in the process of membership of Western Balkan countries in the EU, while having announced that a meeting of technical issues will be held in Slovenia on 3 October.

It has already cited Kosovo-Serbia and Northern Macedonia problems.

We know there are a number of problems between Kosovo and Serbia. We also have a series of talks between Bulgaria and Northern Macedonia and we need a lot of commitment and patience. It is the European community's interest that co-operation with the Western Balkan countries is possible, and of course there is much more to do for membership”, Merkel said.

It has also cited the assistance the EU has provided during the pandemic for the Western Balkan countries, co-operation for a common regional market, warning that recognition of diplomas will be working as soon as possible.

Over the past seven years, something has been achieved and we have achieved something with some of the states and the opening of membership chapters. Some processes we've started again. We do not go all for one chapter, and for many Balkan states, dynamics are very slow, and the European community thinks it really remains very hard to work. When we see in what form the process of vetoing in Albania and how they go, the membership process is going slowly and we have even started with the Berlin process, and it is the new quality of co-operation and assistance for the region, and countries have had difficulties for a long time. Greece and Northern Macedonia have taken time and now has the problem with Bulgaria, so it needs to insist more. Something has been achieved, but there is still a lot of work”, Merkel said.