Germany openly supports the new initiative in the “Open Balkan” region. In a response to the Kosovo media, the German government states that any regional cooperation in the Western Balkans is beneficial and it is important to be comprehensive.

“Any regional cooperation in the Western Balkans is beneficial. At the same time, it is important that co-operation remains comprehensive and open to all six countries in the region. That is why we strongly support the Action Plan for the Regional Common Market “, the spokesman of the German government said.

The German government encourages the countries of the Western Balkans to commit to urgent tasks to finalize the four agreements on freedom of travel.
“The heads of government of the six Western Balkan countries reaffirmed their commitment to this historic project at the last Summit of the Berlin Process on 5 July. The urgent task now is to finalize the negotiations of four agreements on freedom of travel with identity cards, freedom of travel for third-country nationals and recognition of academic and professional qualifications. As German Chancellor Angela Merkel underlined during the press conference after the Berlin Process Summit on July 5, efforts must be redoubled to reach this important step forward until the EU-Western Balkans summit on October 6,” the spokesman added.

Critics have seen Open Balkan as a diversion from the EU to Albania, North Macedonia and Serbia, but for the German government the European perspective of the Western Balkans region based on the new enlargement methodology remains unchanged.

/Klara Ruci/