L-R: Xavier Bettel, Luxembourg's Prime Minister; Dimitar Kovačevski North Macedonia's Prime Minister;
Credit: ME
On Tuesday 6 December 2022, Luxembourg's Prime Minister Xavier Bettel travelled to Tirana in Albania to participate in the EU-Western Balkans Summit.
This was the first EU-Western Balkans summit to be held in one of the six countries of the region, a symbolic choice which, according to Luxembourg's Ministry of State, highlights the European Union's (EU) desire to strengthen political and strategic ties with the partners in question.
On the agenda was a first working meeting, in the presence of stakeholders, such as the European Investment Bank (EIB), around common priorities and challenges, such as the war of aggression waged by Russia against Ukraine and the implications for Europe such as security of energy supply. The leaders present discussed the importance of supporting the Western Balkan region to enable them to cope with the current situation, particularly in terms of energy and food markets.
Already the summit held in Brdo, Slovenia in October 2021 saw 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, including clean energy, a digital future and the rule of law.
The second and last working meeting focused on relations between the EU and the Western Balkans, including the intensification of political dialogue, the management of migratory flows and the strengthening of regional cooperation.
Those present agreed on the "Tirana Declaration" which states, among other things: "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 Luxembourg's Prime Minister, the summit ended with an interview with the Prime Minister of North Macedonia, Dimitar Kovačevski. During this meeting, the two prime ministers discussed topics of common interest such as the strengthening of bilateral relations between their two countries and the procedure for North Macedonia's accession to the EU.
