Tirana, the capital of Albania, hosted the European Union (EU)-Western Balkans Summit on 6 December 2022. The summit, where the leaders of the EU and Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Kosovo, North Macedonia, and Serbia came together, is of particular importance in that it is the first to take place outside the borders of the EU and therefore it is the first summit held in the region. It is known that such meetings are held in Brussels. The summit therefore provided an important basis for reaffirming the key importance of the strategic partnership between the EU and the Western Balkans, a region with an EU perspective.
The meeting held in Albania was a “morale meeting” for the Western Balkan countries aiming for EU membership. As a matter of fact, the countries of the region feel disappointment towards Brussels due to the slow EU integration process. So that; Western Balkan countries, which have been stuck in the EU waiting room for years, have started to express their disappointment with the long and painstaking integration process, especially after Brussels quickly granted Ukraine and Moldova “candidate status”. For this reason, it is observed that the EU has started to give more weight to the Western Balkan countries by accelerating the enlargement policy of the EU during the ongoing Russia-Ukraine War. The EU has rolled up its sleeves at the point of solving the conflicting issues between the countries of the region, especially the energy crisis. There is no doubt that the allegations that Russia aims to open a new front in the Balkans have an important role. The war in Ukraine has acted as a catalyst for the EU to take action to stabilize the Western Balkan countries and counter the influence of China in the region, as well as Russia, which has invested heavily in the countries’ infrastructure.
At the summit held at the Congress Palace in Tirana, the leaders first attended the signing ceremony of the “Roaming Agreement”. In this context, the leaders of the EU and the Western Balkan states signed the agreement that paved the way for the start of the process for the abolition of the roaming fee between the countries. The agreement in question gives a positive impetus to the development of relations between the countries of the region and their cooperation with the EU.
The most important agenda topic of the summit was the EU integration process of the countries in the region and the membership processes of the countries were discussed one by one. So that; At the meeting, the progress of the membership process of Albania and North Macedonia, which started negotiations in July 2022, was discussed. Currently, Albania’s EU membership process is being evaluated according to the reforms to be made, especially in the fight against corruption. The solution of the identity problem of North Macedonia with Bulgaria is very important in terms of accelerating the EU membership process.
On the other hand, at the summit, Bosnia and Herzegovina’s EU “candidate country” status was another hot topic. There is a strong expectation that Bosnia and Herzegovina will gain “candidate country status” at the EU Leaders’ Summit to be held on 15-16 December 2022. As a matter of fact, the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, reiterated their support for Bosnia and Herzegovina to receive “candidate status” at the summit to be held on the date.[1]
At the meeting, where security issues were especially discussed, the recently rising tensions between Kosovo and Serbia were also discussed. In this context, it was reported at the summit that the EU has prepared a new draft to normalize relations between Kosovo and Serbia with a clear roadmap.[2]
In addition, the issue of visa exemption for Kosovo was one of the agenda topics of the meeting. In this context, Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani stated that the EU should take “from word to action” for visa liberalization for Kosovo citizens and said, “As you know, today I will announce in front of all EU leaders that Kosovo will apply for EU membership by the end of the year, and of course we expect the full support of EU members.” has stated.[3]
On the other hand, consultations on the harmonization of Serbia’s foreign policy with the EU also occupied an important place at the meeting. This summit played a critical role in strengthening the solidarity of the Belgrade administration with the EU, which was especially criticized by Brussels for not imposing sanctions on Moscow. As a matter of fact, although Serbia insistently states that it will not impose sanctions on Russia, the EU is making an intense effort to make this happen. In fact, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, who hosted the summit, pointed out that Serbia was subjected to intense criticism for not imposing sanctions against Russia and said, “We must realize the danger. We should not contribute in any way to the withdrawal of Serbia from the EU. On the contrary, we must ensure that there is more engagement.” has declared.[4] However, despite all the pressures in the current process, it can be said that Serbia is not expected to give up its determination in its foreign policy.
In addition to these, the energy crisis was one of the critical issues discussed at the summit. So that; Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama announced that they have received 85 million Euros of energy support from the EU. “This region will be involved in this journey to build more energy sources and to distance itself more and more from Russian influence. I want to believe that the time has come to convey the message that the EU is here for us to all people in the region, especially the Albanian people.” he said. This solidarity of the EU with the Western Balkan countries on the energy crisis is very effective in restoring the lost confidence of the regional states. In the Tirana Declaration adopted after the summit, the following topics were emphasized:
- Reaffirms the EU’s unequivocal support for the EU perspective on the Western Balkans
- Intensifying cooperation in the face of common problems arising from the Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Ensuring a common solidarity in which the EU will help strengthen the region’s economy and resilience
- Overcoming the challenges posed by the fight against migration, terrorism, and organized crime
As a result, the historic summit in Albania is very critical in that it takes place at a time when the loss of confidence regarding the EU in the region is beginning to occur. Therefore, the summit is important for the revitalization of EU-Western Balkans relations. Because, it can be said that the EU will start to deal more with the problems in the region in line with its strategic goals and aim to counter the influence of Russia and China in the region. For this reason, it can be expected that the EU will increase financial aid, especially energy, and expand its cooperation to the Western Balkan countries in the future. In addition, it is thought that the EU will accelerate the negotiation process to give “morale” to the countries of the region, or in other words, to eliminate the loss of confidence. So that; It can be argued that the EU will be more involved in the resolution of the conflicting problems between the countries of the region.
[1] “EU and the Western Balkans Look to Strengthen Ties”, RFI, https://www.rfi.fr/en/international-news/20221206-eu-and-the-western-balkans-look-to-strengthen-ties, (Date of Accession: 07.12.2022).
[2] “AB, Kosova ve Sırbistan İlişkilerini Normalleştirmek İçin Yeni Bir Taslak ve Yol Haritası Hazırladı”, Euronews, https://tr.euronews.com/2022/12/06/ab-kosova-ve-sirbistan-iliskilerini-normallestirmek-icin-yeni-bir-taslak-ve-yol-haritasi-h?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Twitter#Echobox=1670389177, (Date of Accession: 07.12.2022).
[3] “Kosova, Yıl Sonuna Kadar AB’ye Üyelik Başvurusunda Bulunacak”, Balkan News, https://www.balkannews.com.tr/kosova/kosova-yil-sonuna-kadar-ab-ye-uyelik-basvurusunda-bulunacak-h5173.html, (Date of Accession: 07.12.2022).
[4] “Rama: “Sırbistan’ın AB’den Uzaklaşmasına Hiçbir Şekilde Katkıda Bulunmamalıyız”, Balkan News, https://www.balkannews.com.tr/balkanlar/rama-sirbistan-in-ab-den-uzaklasmasina-hicbir-h5186.html, (Date of Accession: 07.12.2022).
