EU Commissioner for Neighborhood and Enlargement Negotiations Olivier Varhelyi said today that the future of the Western Balkans lies in the European Union and that this is a strategic interest of European countries. He made the remarks during a visit to Pristina, a few days after the publication of the European Commission’s Progress Report on the Western Balkans and Turkey.
Addressing the members of the Kosovo Parliament, Mr. Varhelyi said that the European Union will allocate funds and help the Balkan countries to meet the conditions for European integration. He cited the investment plan, which envisions allocating billions of funds to help countries in the region. The European Union approved this week a 9 billion-euro package of grants for the Western Balkans until 2027. Mr. Varhelyi said that in co-ordination with international financial institutions, another 20 billion-euro fund is being worked on for the region.
“The European Commission will continue to assist this process and I hope that both countries can make progress in the coming months to reach a legally binding normalization agreement that is important for Serbia and Kosovo to advance their European path, ”he said. Mr. Varhelyi held meetings with representatives of institutions and political parties in Kosovo, while in a conference with Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti, called for accelerated work on fulfilling reforms towards Kosovo’s European path.

“Accelerate reforms because these investments go hand in hand with reform efforts and I know your government is quite committed, but it needs to be more committed to speeding up reforms related to the rule of law,” he said. Mr. Varhelyi said that the investment plan aims to bring the Western Balkans closer to the European Union and increase regional cooperation. Kosovo Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti said the investment and economic recovery plan for the Western Balkans is good news for Kosovo and the region, while vowing that Kosovo will commit to fulfilling the necessary reforms required by European institutions.

/Klara Ruci/