TIRANA, December 7 – “The EU – Western Balkans summit turned Tirana into the capital of Europe yesterday,” said the EU ambassador to Albania, Christiane Hohmann on Wednesday. Hohmann emphasized that, “The declaration of Tirana shows that the leaders of the EU and the Western Balkans look in the same direction: building a European future together. Thank you to Albania for once again showing its amazing hospitality,” said Hohmann in a post on social networks.
The EU-Western Balkans summit held in Tirana on December 6 was the first summit of its kind to take place in the Western Balkans region and reaffirmed the importance of the strategic partnership between the EU and the Western Balkans, a region with a clear perspective towards the EU.
The EU-Western Balkans summit in Tirana was attended by the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, the High Representative/Vice President, Josep Borrell, the Commissioner for Enlargement, Olivér Várhelyi, as well as the heads of state or governments of EU member states and partners of the Western Balkans.
Organizing the summit for the first time in the region is a clear sign of the EU’s strong commitment to the Western Balkans and its path towards the EU.
The leaders of the EU reaffirmed the full and clear commitment to the prospect of membership in the European Union of the Western Balkans. They called for the acceleration of the accession process based on credible reforms by partners, fair and rigorous conditionality and the principle of own merits.
The Roaming Agreement was signed within the framework of the EU – Western Balkans Summit. It paves the way for the start of the process for the removal of the roaming fee between the countries of the European Union and the Western Balkans. / Argumentum.al