Zagreb Summit, EU reaffirms European perspective of the WB
Related Articles
May 7 - EU leaders reaffirmed their support for the European perspective of the Western Balkans and offered additional financial support to the six countries during the Zagreb Summit held on May 6. The Summit, which was initially planned as a physical meeting, brought together EU and WB leaders via video conference due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“We have reaffirmed and reconfirmed the position of the European perspective for the Western Balkans. It is important to continue the reforms, the rule of law, the democratic values, the fight against corruption – they are essential”, said the President of the European Council Charles Michel during the press conference.
Meanwhile, the EU financial assistance announced during the summit consists of a package of over 3.3 billion euros to the benefit of the Western Balkans to support the health sector as well as the social and economic recovery of the countries amid the Covid-19 pandemic. The European Investment Bank will play a key role in the process, as it will provide 1.7 billion euros of the total package focused mainly on the healthcare sector as well as SMEs.
“Once we put behind us this immediate phase of the pandemic, the EU will present the investment plan later this year – it will focus on necessary transport and energy infrastructure, but also Green new deal and digitalisation,” President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen added. She also addressed free press as one of the main EU values.
Moreover, Prime Minister of Croatia Andrej Plenković brought to attention the achievements of his country’s Presidency, emphasizing the opening of EU accession talks with Albania and North Macedonia.
“We have managed, thanks to our joint efforts, to open accession negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania. In our view, these decisions were long overdue. We have also managed to adopt new methodology which will not only help Serbia and Montenegro, which are already negotiating, but also North Macedonia and Albania,” Plenković said.
EU leaders finalized the summit by adopting the Zagreb Declaration which was later released to the public. In the Declaration, the EU urged the Western Balkans leaders to “ensure that fundamental values, democratic principles and the rule of law are strictly upheld and implemented, including while special and extraordinary measures to contain the coronavirus pandemic are in place.“
Furthermore, the Declaration states the EU's commitment to support regional cooperation and recommends that this cooperation continues in order to accelerate economic recovery after the pandemic. “This requires strong commitment by the entire region to continue deepening regional economic integration, building on EU rules and standards and thereby bringing the region and its companies closer to the EU Internal Market.”
In regard to the financial assistance given out during the pandemic, the EU emphasized its role as the main provider and pointed out that this support deserved “public acknowledgement.” Therefore, “disinformation and other hybrid activities originating in particular from third-state actors seeking to undermine the European perspective of the region.” are to be addressed, according to the Declaration
Furthermore, the EU called on the Western Balkan countries to enhance efforts towards “reconciliation and regional stability, as well as to finding and implementing definitive, inclusive and binding solutions to partners’ 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 reiterated its support to the newly-appointed EU Special Representative for the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue.
As announced by the EU prior to the Summit, the topic of enlargement was not included in the Declaration.
