After the conference within the Berlin Process, German Chancellor Friedrich Mertz said that he supports the path of the countries of the Western Balkans towards the European Union. But there will be no discount for necessary reforms
Six countries in the region have been waiting years for membership in the European Union, while the bureaucratic system of "chapters" and political blockages in Brussels are slowing down progress. Any delay strengthens authoritarian elites, empties the region of young people and deepens the influence of Russia and China
Recommendations refer to the areas of good governance, security, reconciliation and dealing with the past, gender equality and diversity, common regional market and growth
"The European Union should abandon the idea that Vučić is the guarantor of the region's stability. He may have been once, but now that he is in serious trouble, he could become a risk," the German press assesses.
Croatia, Albania and Kosovo signed a memorandum on military cooperation, which provoked a sharp reaction from Serbia
Significant pressures on the civil sector in Serbia call into question the democratic processes in the country and its path to the European Union, said the special envoy of Germany for the Western Balkans, Emanuel Saracin, in an interview with Deutsche Welle.
Montenegro entered the new year with newly closed negotiation chapters and optimism that it could become a member of the European Union by 2029. How realistic is that and where are the other countries of the region on the way to membership
US President Joe Biden expanded the scope of sanctions due to the "destabilization" of the Western Balkans. What do the changes that include adult children of sanctioned persons provide for?
Since the summit in Thessaloniki, Greece, in 2003, the European Union, which meanwhile consists of 27 member states, has been repeating the mantra - the countries of the Western Balkans are part of Europe and should be admitted to the European club, Deutsche Welle reminds
With much fanfare, the memoirs of former German chancellor Angela Merkel, titled "Freedom," arrived in bookstores. In them, Serbia and the region are mentioned in several places
What do young people who deal with issues of reconciliation and peacekeeping in the Western Balkans say, and how much are young people actually involved in the whole process? Finally, what is the key to reconciliation
Serbs support Donald Trump, and everyone else in the region supports Kamala Harris. But whoever moves into the White House will not change God knows what in relation to the Western Balkans
Ursula von der Leyen is coming to the Western Balkans. He will talk with the hosts about the accession process and EU financial support for this region. What does this visit mean for the European integration process of the Balkan countries
NATO Secretary General Mark Rute warns of Serbian secessionism in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the security situation in Kosovo and Russia's attempts to destabilize the region
The meetings resemble a ritual, progress is sporadic and not essential, and the entry of Serbia and its neighbors into the EU is not in sight, writes the German press after the meeting of the Berlin Process in the capital of Germany
From today, Serbs from Kosovo can travel to the European Union without visas, fifteen years after citizens of Serbia were granted a visa-free regime with the EU.
The Berlin Process was launched in 2014 as a platform for stronger cooperation between the six countries of the Western Balkans and the EU. Ten years after the process was launched, many agreements remain unfulfilled
There are numerous challenges facing the media in the countries of the Western Balkans and the former Yugoslavia, from political influence and pressure to economic instability to threats to freedom of expression. And that's just the beginning. Are the media in some countries worse than others? Or the conditions in which they function are only apparently better somewhere
The Berlin process, launched ten years ago, brings together foreign ministers ahead of a summit that could bring about important changes in the regional cooperation of the Western Balkans. Although the focus is on the CEFTA agreement, disagreements between Kosovo and Serbia continue to cause tensions
In order for Serbia and the Western Balkans to progress, it is necessary to attract more capital, nurture talent and create a more favorable environment for the growth of the entire ecosystem, which requires cooperation between state institutions, investors and the startup community. Only 11,2 million euros were invested in the entire region
Meta, the company that owns Facebook and Instagram, changed its privacy policy at the end of June. Users from the countries of the Western Balkans are not informed that Meta collects their data for the purpose of developing artificial intelligence tools
The German Society for Southeast Europe organized a debate in the Bundestag building on German policy towards the Western Balkans, where European integration was debated. Although on the same day and at the same time the new president of the Serbian Parliament visited the Bundestag building, Ana Brnabić did not attend the event.
In the Hungarian program, it was pointed out that the EU has long been engaged in providing a European perspective for the Western Balkans, "because the community cannot be complete without the accession of this region".
The President of the United States of America, Joe Biden, has extended for one year the decree on emergency measures for the Western Balkans, which is valid until June 26, 2024. The destabilization of this region is seen as a threat to the national security of the United States.
At the European Union Summit held in Kotor, and on the occasion of the Growth Plan for the Western Balkans, the President of Serbia stated that this region will probably wait another six years to join the EU, but also that the agreement on labor turnover has an extremely positive effect on Serbia
The actual amount of funds used will depend on the European Union's assessment of whether Serbia meets the agreed goals in the reform of the rule of law, the democratic system, the normalization of relations with Pristina and harmonization with the EU's foreign policy, according to sources from Brussels.
A third of the funds allocated by the EU to the six Balkan countries are grants, while the rest is in the form of loans with favorable interest rates, and in order to receive this aid, each of the countries must meet certain criteria
