The six countries of the Western Balkans are an integral part of the European family. Germany is supporting them bilaterally, within the framework of the EU and in the Berlin Process in pursuing their path towards the EU actively and ambitiously. For the first time in a longer period, there is a realistic chance that the accession process will take a crucial step forward. People in the region have justifiably high expectations that intensive efforts on this path will pay off, as entailed in the performance-based approach.

In order to have a future in the EU, many people are prepared to carry out far-reaching reforms as those who wish to become part of this community of rights and economic area must take on responsibility – even if this necessitates taking difficult steps. The rule of law, the fight against corruption and the preservation of fundamental rights are non-negotiable here. Our NATO Allies Montenegro and Albania in particular have made significant progress recently, while other countries still have a lot to do in some areas.

Reform steps and a clear commitment to shared values are the prerequisite for EU accession. At the same time, they form the basis for stable, democratic states that protect minorities, smooth the path for economic growth, and do not allow themselves to be thrown off the course they have chosen despite all the attempts at disinformation and manipulation by authoritarian states such as Russia.

Diversifying the energy supply is a key issue here, For the countries of the Western Balkans, it is crucial to have a wider range of energy sources in order to strengthen their independence and sovereignty in the long term. We in Germany know how painful and, at the same time, how necessary this can be.

In order for the reform process to succeed, one needs strong partners such as Germany, the region’s closest economic and trade partner, with whom many people in the Western Balkans also have close personal and professional ties, and the EU, in whose own interest it is not to leave the region to forces who want to destabilise our democracies. Only in this way can Europe remain strong from the inside out. In this regard, it is clear that the EU must also undertake reforms in order to remain capable of acting and taking in new members.

Particularly in times of geopolitical upheaval, only a strong and united Europe can guarantee our continent’s prosperity, security and freedom over the long term. I will discuss these matters with my interlocutors in the six countries of the Western Balkans and make clear that the EU is not a distant promise, but a concrete prospect for them.