Balgarianovinite.com The participants in the EU-Western Balkans Summit, held in Brussels on Wednesday, adopted a declaration which, among other things, states that “inclusive regional cooperation, reconciliation and good neighbourly relations remain key to building a shared future as well as implementing international agreements in good faith and with tangible results, including the Prespa Agreement with Greece and the Treaty on Friendship, Good Neighbourliness and Cooperation with Bulgaria.”
The summit was attended by heads of state and government of the EU member states and of Western Balkan countries. Serbia was not represented at the event.
The declaration says: “Decisive further efforts are still required to foster reconciliation and regional stability, as well as to find and to implement definitive, inclusive and binding solutions to partners’ regional and bilateral disputes and issues rooted in the legacy of the past, in line with international law and established principles, including the Agreement on Succession Issues, and the remaining cases of missing persons and war crimes issues.”
The leaders of the EU and of its Member States, in consultation with their Western Balkans partners, concluded:
“Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and rising geopolitical challenges underscore the need for ever-stronger ties between the EU and the Western Balkans. The Summit is the most significant occasion in the year to reconfirm the strategic partnership between the European Union and the Western Balkans.
“We reaffirm our full and unequivocal commitment to the European Union membership perspective of the Western Balkans. The future of the Western Balkans is in our Union. Enlargement is a realistic possibility, which should be seized.”
The leaders reiterated their support for a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine, based on the UN Charter and international law.
Noting that alignment with the EU’s Common Foreign and Security Policy remains a strong expression of a partner’s strategic choice, the declaration says: “We commend those Western Balkans partners that are already fully aligned and urge those who have not yet done so to follow suit.”
The press conference planned to take place after the summit was called off, but European Council President Antonio Costa said in a statement that good progress has been made over the past 12 months on the Western Balkans’ path to the EU.
“[R]egarding North Macedonia, we welcome the steps to boost regional connectivity. And we hope for real progress in 2026. Their authorities know what they need to do,” Costa said.
He recognized Montenegro’s accelerated advancement along the path to the EU and noted that Albania has managed to open all negotiating clusters in a very short time.
“[A]lso this year, Bosnia and Herzegovina adopted their Reform Agenda, a necessary step to access the Growth Plan,” Costa said. He welcomed the steps taken by Kosovo to build trust between communities. The upcoming parliamentary elections in Kosovo “can be a crucial moment for consolidating the reforms and engaging constructively in the European accession path,” he added.
The European Council President went on to state:
“Let’s be clear, beyond the technicalities of the process, there is a fundamental political choice to make: a choice between staying trapped in the past, or moving forward towards a joint future in the European Union, a choice between division or reconciliation and cooperation, which are the very pillars of the European Union.
“Only by overcoming the past can the Western Balkans fully assume their role as future EU members, and contribute to a stable, prosperous, and united Europe. The road ahead will not be easy. Some reforms will be difficult, but they are worth it. And I believe that our partners are committed to delivering.
“We must keep this momentum. For this, we will support our partners every step of the way. Enlargement is a deeply transformational process. Socioeconomic convergence will anchor their future in the European Union. The EU is—and will remain—the Western Balkans’ most reliable partner. They are all part of the European family, and the European Union is their place.” EU Highlights Importance of Implementation of Skopje’s Agreements with Sofia and Athens 2025 THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2025-12-17 23:15:18 Latest news World news Country news Most important news latest news most important latest of the day Justice Petar Nizamov Feathers Petar Nizamov- Feathers Justice bg iustitia.bg iustitia iusticia usticia investigation Burgas Bulgaria news news of the last hour news of the day news of today Bulgaria news The news from Bulgaria blitz news top news most important most commented latest news Boyko Borisov news weather coronavirus news news weather facebook youtube facebook instagram news today news of the last minutes news today today news news bg news leading news hot news bg news site for news all news news bg news of the last hour latest latest news bg news of today news today news today news of the last hour latest news today news bg news news 24 hours news vesti bg novini news world bird bg bivol bg bivol trud bg novini latest news today novinite bg news hello bulgaria political party coat of arms delyan peevski scandalous Bulgarian National Television Free Europe Television scandal exclusive live tv live right now tv tv online tv program bg live now tv news online tv online live court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas district court Burgas appellate court Burgas prosecutor Burgas prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev Prosecutor Geshev Tsatsarov Ministry of Internal Affairs Burgas ODMR Burgas ODPR Burgas police Burgas district police Burgas prosecutor Tsatsarov SGS cases Varna court chairman of the SGS court decisions on civil cases decisions on cases Plovdiv court decision of the court decisions cases Varna court criminal cases district district court decisions work in the court SGS chairman of the SGS judges Sofia court post judges Plovdiv court Plovdiv judges Plovdiv Supreme Court Inspectorate Supreme Court Supreme Judicial Council lawyer lawyer criminal cases lawyer civil cases lawyer marriage cases lawyer administrative criminal law criminal process civil law civil process administrative law constitutional law
