EU Must Encourage Western Balkans To Avoid States' Shifting To Other Regional Blocs - Maas

EU Must Encourage Western Balkans to Avoid States' Shifting to Other Regional Blocs - Maas

The Western Balkan states should be given an opportunity to enter the European Union, or otherwise they can aspire to enter other regional blocs, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said on Friday, following the Berlin Process foreign ministers meeting

WARSAW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 12th April, 2019) The Western Balkan states should be given an opportunity to enter the European Union, or otherwise they can aspire to enter other regional blocs, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said on Friday, following the Berlin Process foreign ministers meeting.

The EU Western Balkan enlargement policy deals with six countries, namely Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia. Only Croatia has managed to become a full member of the alliance so far, having joined the European Union in 2013.

"The Balkans' integration into the European Union remains our interest ... It is important to give these countries a prospect of EU membership, otherwise they will shift their attention to other regions, and this contradicts our interests," Maas said.

Polish Foreign Minister Jacek Czaputowicz, in turn, stated that Poland also supported the Western Balkan states' aspiration to join the European Union. According to Czaputowicz, these countries have the right to expect their membership in the bloc as they are situated in Europe.

The Berlin Process foreign ministers meeting took place in Warsaw earlier on Friday. The Berlin Process, initiated in 2014 by Germany, was designed to promote regional cooperation between the EU countries and the Western Balkan states. The first summit of the process was held in Berlin on August 28, 2014.

The Western Balkan states involved in the process are Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia. As for the European Union, it is represented by Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Poland, and Slovenia.