Seven European Union member states, including the Czech Republic, have expressed support for the Western Balkan countries in their EU accession process, on the condition that they comply with the existing rules for EU enlargement.
Slovak Foreign Minister Juraj Blanar hosted the Bratislava meeting of foreign ministers from the Friends of the Western Balkans group and their counterparts from the region. Foreign Minister Petr Macinka represented the Czech Republic at the talks.
“We agreed that the gradual process of integration is vital,” said Blanar. “It is a major challenge for us to do everything we can to support the integration of these countries. Otherwise, our credibility in this region will decline significantly. Countries like Montenegro and Albania can serve as positive examples for the Western Balkan countries.”
However, he added, double standards cannot be applied in the accession process, and the EU enlargement process must be based on compliance with the existing rules.
At a joint press conference with Blanar, European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos added that European security was linked to the stability of the Western Balkans. She noted, however, that EU enlargement was a merit-based process and that candidate countries must undertake various reforms.
In addition to the Czech Republic and Slovakia, the Friends of the Western Balkans includes Austria, Croatia, Greece, Italy and Slovenia.
In a joint declaration, the foreign ministers of these countries said it was important for the EU to prepare for the accession of new members in the context of negotiations on its new seven-year budget.
The meeting in Bratislava was also attended by representatives of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, and Kosovo, whose independence is not recognised by Slovakia.
