Plenkovic: EU willing to support S-E Europe's reform efforts

The European Union is willing to support neighbouring countries' reform and European efforts, Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said on Wednesday ahead of a virtual EU-Western Balkans Zagreb Summit.

The prime minister of the country chairing the Council of the EU said the EU was willing to support Western Balkan countries' efforts "not just in the context of the negotiations which Serbia and Montenegro are already conducting, not just in the context of the European Council's very important decision to open accession negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania, but also as a message to Bosnia and Herzegovina, an especially important country for Croatia."

Croatia wants to help BiH on its European journey and to support talks between Serbia and Kosovo, Plenkovic said, adding that the green light for Skopje and Tirana was a result of "the diplomatic and political engagement of Croatia and its friends and partners."

The EU is also supporting the Western Balkans financially during the coronavirus pandemic and the European Commission "is preparing a big economic assistance package which will follow the regular progress reports on those countries," he said.

During the Croatian presidency the Commission has presented a modified accession negotiations methodology, which Plenkovic considers "a legacy of the Croatian presidency."

At today's video conference, the leaders of the EU's 27 member states and six Western Balkan countries will reaffirm the European perspective of Southeast European countries.

Text: Hina

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