Xavier Bettel at the EU-Western Balkans summit in Tirana

The Prime Minister, Minister of State, Xavier Bettel, travelled to Tirana in Albania on 6 December 2022 to attend the EU-Western Balkans summit.

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    Xavier Bettel, Prime Minister, Minister of State and Dimitar Kovačevski, President of the Government of the Republic of North Macedonia

    Xavier Bettel, Prime Minister, Minister of State and Dimitar Kovačevski, President of the Government of the Republic of North Macedonia

  2. ©European Union

    Group photo

    Group photo

  3. ©ME

    Group photo

    Group photo

  4. ©ME

    Xavier Bettel, Prime Minister, Minister of State

    Xavier Bettel, Prime Minister, Minister of State

This is the first EU-Western Balkans summit to be held in one of the six countries of the region, a symbolic gesture that underlines the will to strengthen political and strategic ties with the partners in question.

The summit programme included a first working meeting, in the presence of stakeholders such as the EIB, on common priorities and challenges, such as Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine and the implications for Europe such as security of energy supply. The importance of supporting the Western Balkans region to cope with the current situation, particularly in the field of energy and food markets, was discussed.

The summit held in Brdo, Slovenia, in October 2021 has already led to the adoption of the Economic and Investment Plan, which aims to bring the EU and the Western Balkans closer together through investments in many areas (clean energy, digital future, rule of law, etc.).

The second and final working meeting focused on relations between the EU and the Western Balkans, including intensification of political dialogue, management of migration flows and strengthening of regional cooperation.

The EU Tirana Declaration can be found in full at the bottom of the page and states, among other things, that "The EU reconfirms its full and unequivocal commitment to the European Union membership perspective of the Western Balkans and calls for the acceleration of the accession process, based upon credible reforms by Partners, fair and rigorous conditionality and the principle of own merits, which is in our mutual interest".

For the Prime Minister, the Summit was concluded with a meeting with the President of the Government of the Republic of North Macedonia, Dimitar Kovačevski. During the meeting, the two leaders discussed issues of common interest, such as the strengthening of bilateral relations between the two countries and the accession procedure of North Macedonia to the European Union.

Press release by the Ministry of State

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