Rohde: Before membership, Balkan countries must implement what is necessary

He said the growth plan and progress reports provide a solid basis for dialogue, outlining a clear road forward and that it is now up to the countries to implement what is needed.

The regular exchange between EU foreign ministers@ JosepBorellF and the counterparts of 6 countries from the Western Balkans are essential. The growth plan and progress reports provide a solid basis for dialogue, outlining a clear way forward. Now, it is up to the countries to apply what is necessary”, it wrote on X.

Foreign ministers of the European Union states have met on Monday, November 13th, in Brussels with counterparts from the Western Balkans to discuss a variety of topics of common interest.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell led the traditional meeting.

The meeting was held just days after the European Commission approved and published the annual package of enlargement and progress reports, with generally praised co-operation and co-ordination of the region's actions with the EU in the field of foreign policy, with the exclusion of Serbia and, to some extent, Bosnia and Herzegovina, as the two countries with the lowest level of adaptation with the bloc's positions in the field of foreign policy.

Other countries, such as Albania, Montenegro and Northern Macedonia, have an almost complete adjustment to EU positions, including sanctions against Russia due to Ukraine's unprotested invasion. Although Kosovo does not have a formal obligation, it has also supported EU positions in foreign policy, including sanctions against Russia, which has been praised by Brussels.