German Chancellor Olaf Scholz declared on Saturday that he will commit to the integration of the Western Balkans into the European Union.
In a joint press conference with Macedonian Prime Minister Dimitar Kovacevski from Skopje, the Chancellor said that the region holds “a strategical importance” to Germany.
“The Western Balkans are of strategic importance to Germany, and I commit to the accession of this region to the European Union. I would like to emphasize that Germany is serious about the integration of the countries in the region”, the German Chancellor said.
He also added that the bloc must deliver on its promises and open accession negotiations.
‘Berlin Process must serve for the development of the Western Balkans’
Speaking about the importance of the Berlin Process, the German Chancellor said the initiative should serve to help out in the development of the Western Balkans.
Scholz said the Berlin Process needs “to be revived” as it mainly aims to boost the development of the regional common market, and stressed that good neighborly relations and a strong economy will bring the region closer to the EU.
“An important step for the development of the region is to accelerate economic and European integration in favor of the citizens of the Western Balkans. All countries gain from better regional cooperation, a stronger economy, and improved neighborly relations, and it helps accelerate the path to the EU”.
Chancellor Scholz is on a two-day tour around the Western Balkans, starting from Kosovo and then Serbia.
After North Macedonia, Scholz will travel to Bulgaria.
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