The Western Balkans Summit in Paris yesterday reaffirmed the European perspective for the region. At the summit, the High Representative/Vice-President, Federica Mogherini and Commissioner Johannes Hahn stressed the European Union’s willingness to proceed with the European integration of the Western Balkan countries, highlighting the importance of integration for peace and stability, not only in the region but also for the security of European citizens. Read or watch the press point of the HR/VP.
Hosted by French President, François Hollande, and attended by the High Representative, the Summit meeting provided a platform for leaders to discuss issues such as migration, youth radicalisation, security, employment and economic growth. In the margins of the Summit, the signing ceremony of the ‘Agreement on the establishment of the Regional Youth Cooperation Office of the Western Balkans’ took place as well as a number of other side events with high-level EU participation.
Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations, Johannes Hahn, joined the Foreign Ministers meeting to affirm the continuous commitment to the European perspective of the region, and to discuss the connectivity and youth agenda, economic development and common challenges for the EU and the Western Balkan region. In the morning, Commissioner Hahn had addressed participants at the Business Forum, emphasising the importance of implementing economic reforms as part of the accession process.
He also addressed Economic Ministers alongside Commissioner for Transport, Violeta Bulc, to outline this year’s connectivity funding decisions, including €96 million for 3 railway infrastructure projects in Serbia, Albania and in Kosovo, and €50 million for greening measures such as energy efficiency in residential buildings and small scale Hydro projects. Commissioner Bulc also reiterated the commitment of the Commmission to the establishment of a Transport Community between the EU and the Western Balkans, which would support the delivery of the Connectivity Agenda. Commissioner for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport, Tibor Navracsics, gave a keynote speech at the opening of the Western Balkans Youth Conference “Connecting Youth”, in which he highlighted, among others, his plans to support young people by strengthening financial support to the European Voluntary Service and cross-border volunteering beyond the EU to foster the recognition of skills and help remove barriers such as visas or the loss of social security benefits.
