The Berlin Process Summit 2021 that will take place online on Monday, hosted by Germany, is to focus on encouraging Western Balkan countries to demonstrate a spirit of compromise in order to achieve concrete results with respect to the implementation of the Common Regional Market project.
Ahead of the event, the initiator of the Berlin Process, the German Chancellor Angela Merkel, said she was convinced that the future of the Western Balkans will really be in a united Europe.
In a video message on Saturday, Merkel said she was happy, that the online meeting would allow her to continue working with the heads of state and government of the Western Balkans, in implementing primary goal of the Berlin Process in achieving stability in the region and peaceful dialogue.
“The Western Balkans is the EU’s immediate neighbor. It is a part of Europe where the wounds of war have not yet healed, and Germany is home to a large number of citizens from that area. It is clear to me that EU countries must have an interest in peaceful development in the Western Balkans. We have responsibility to practically advocate for development in that part of Europe,” Merkel stressed, adding that the Berlin Process has already achieved some success, and in that regard, she especially singled out the recently established Youth Forum.
She noted that what has long been considered impossible is finally possible, and that is the exchange of students of various religions and ethnicities.
“It is a practical contribution to peace,” Merkel underlined, adding that mutual recognition of diplomas, cooperation in science, as well as progress in infrastructure projects also contributed to that, which was characterized by steps leading to strengthening cross-border exchanges between citizens and overcoming prejudices.
“All of this leads the countries of the Western Balkans forward towards the common goal of fulfilling the EU accession criteria. I am convinced that, sooner or later, their future will really be in a united Europe,” she underlined.
Merkel pointed out that there are still many challenges in the Western Balkans, that mistrust and nationalism have not disappeared and that bilateral disputes can flare up at any moment, which is why reconciliation is necessary.
“It means overcoming the past and making everything possible so future generations can live in peace,” Merkel said in the message.
The Berlin Process is an initiative aimed at stepping up regional cooperation in the Western Balkans and aiding the integration of these countries into the European Union. It was launched on August 28, 2014, by the German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
This informal process supports the Western Balkan countries in forging closer ties with the European Union and moving towards accession, as well as in increasing regional cooperation in the fields of connectivity, the economy, digital and youth issues, reconciliation, and science. It also encourages dialogue between the countries at a societal level.
The goals of the Berlin Process also include “making additional real progress in the reform process, in resolving outstanding bilateral and internal issues, and in achieving reconciliation within and between the societies in the region”, as well as to enhance “regional economic cooperation and lay the foundations for sustainable growth.”
It is supplementary to the individual countries’ institutional EU integration process, based on the adoption of the Acquis Communautaire.
The Process’s connectivity agenda refers to linking the people (social dimension), economies (economic dimension) and states (political dimension) of the region. Within this agenda, the Process has thus far yielded initiatives and projects in the fields of transport and infrastructure, economic connectivity, youth cooperation and cooperation among businesses and among the civil societies of the Western Balkans. It also inspired intergovernmental cooperation through entities set up during its course: the Regional Youth Cooperation Office (RYCO), the Western Balkans Chambers Investment Forum (WBCIF) and the Western Balkans Fund (WBF).
Alongside the meetings of the highest governmental officials (Western Balkan Summit Series), the Berlin Process encompasses the meetings of the representatives of regional civil society organisations (Civil Society Forum of the Western Balkan Summit Series), youth organisations (Youth Forum) and business associations (Business Forum).
