TIRANA, ALBANIA – Leaders of the European Commission and Council as well as key EU member states are adamant that dialogue between Pristina and Belgrade must continue, despite uncertainty over the recent attack on 24 September in north Kosovo, just one of many divergences on display at the Berlin Process Summit in Tirana on Monday (16 October).
Serbian President Aleksander Vučić was not present, with the country represented by Prime Minister Ana Brnabic. Meanwhile, Kosovar Prime Minister Albin Kurti represented his country but did not take any questions from the media upon arrival.
As for whether a meeting between the two would occur, sources, including senior governmental and diplomatic officials, told Euractiv that it would likely happen informally, flanked by Germany and France, during the working lunch.
However, French President Emmanuel Macron was not present due to recent events in France and is expected to join the event later this afternoon.
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Conflicts cannot hold us hostage
During the opening speeches, European Council President Charles Michel was clear that the only way forward for the two countries was through dialogue.
“We cannot let bilateral conflicts hold us hostage. The solution may be more painful than reform, but it must be done. Do not let the ghosts of the past steal your future,” he said.
He added that the tensions between Kosovo and Serbia have raised historical tensions, but there cannot be cooperation without reconciliation or a sustainable future.
“Reconciliation requires political courage and a sincere focus on the future; this will be the spirit of the summit,” he said.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz echoed that dialogue must continue and previously agreed upon matters must be implemented.
“Multiple crises in the region, in the Western Balkans, have highlighted the urgent need to work together and overcome antagonisms…The recent escalations in the north of Kosovo have proven how important this is,” Scholz said in his opening speech.
He continued that agreements reached through the normalisation of dialogue led by the EU must be completed.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen did not mention either country by name – she said that the “world is on fire” due to the wars in Israel and Ukraine, but the European Union is proof of sustainable peace.
“The Western Balkans has its place there,” she said, adding, “Let’s work together so that you become part of the EU that shows that together we can achieve lasting peace and prosperity for all.”
Despite hopes from Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama that the conflict would not overshadow the event, it was also a key topic with various other leaders. Outgoing Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said he had spoken to Vučić and Kurti, adding, “I hope we will all be able to help reduce tensions.”
Recently, Rama, Kosovo politicians from every side of the spectrum, MEPs and former US Ambassador to Kosovo, Philip Kosnett, have all said the dialogue cannot continue as if nothing has happened.
They have all called for a reevaluation of the situation following the findings of a full investigation into the attack that left one Kosovo police officer dead and another wounded.
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Broken EU promises now a deep class division
Rama also called out the EU for failing to meet its promises and alienating the region’s countries.
“The biggest political challenge is between EU members and non-EU. Can we afford these separations?”
He added that while the “spirit” of the Berlin Process is in good shape, the promises made by the EU in terms of economic benefits have not been fulfilled.
“Democracy without infrastructure cannot function properly,” he said, adding that EU countries receive some €4,500 per capita in EU funding. Still, Western Balkan countries get just €138, calling it “a frightening testimony of a class division that has deepened the division in the house of Europe”.
But amid the criticism, Rama did concede that von der Leyen is taking “significant steps for political and economic changes in the Western Balkans”.
“I am not asking for funding equal to EU countries,” Rama said, “What I am saying is this geopolitical landscape is developing quickly and action is needed, and faster.”
Rama explained that in the framework of the EU investment plan in the Western Balkans, the investments are significant, but only 10% are grants. Furthermore, he said, the mechanism for accessing them is slow and outdated.
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Growth Plan set to be announced
During her doorstep with reporters, von der Leyen said the EU intends to give the region access to the European single market.
“One of the main topics will be the economy of the Western Balkans, this is why I have introduced the Growth Plan. We want to give them access to the European Common Market,” she said.
But this will need reforms in the region, and those “who have the will to reform will receive funding,” she said, adding, “It is a stimulus for those who really want to move forward.”
The Growth Plan will include opening new trade routes in specific areas of the EU’s common market for the Balkan countries, such as the free movement of goods and services, road transport, energy, electricity and the digital single market.
“We really have to tap into the potential here in the Western Balkans and get it closer to the European single market,” she said.
A Commission source and a diplomatic source told Euractiv that von der Leyen is set to formally announce the package, with a total value of some €28 billion comprising €2 billion for the Growth Plan and €26 billion in IPA (Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance) funds.
This will be in addition to the €30 billion from the Economic and Investment Plan launched in 2020, of which €16 billion has been invested so far.
Meanwhile, while waiting for his guests to arrive, Rama asked the foreign journalists in attendance, “Are you all being treated well? I am not talking to our side because they are always unhappy, but the rest of you? Are you being treated well?”
In reference to historical tensions between some journalists, it elicited a laugh from both foreign and international media in attendance.
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[Edited by Nathalie Weatherald]
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Source: euractiv.com
