Poland supports EU enlargement in Western Balkans

Greeting the prime ministers from the region at the Western Balkans Summit, a part of the Berlin Process, Duda said the area had substantial importance for the European security and development.

“Poland sees the Berlin Process as preparation for the EU enlargement and acceptance of the new member states. The EU is not complete without the Western Balkans,” Polish President said.

He added that despite the EU was in a problematic situation itself,  the bloc had always found the way to overcome the obstacles.

“The enlargement issue should not be at the sidelines. Especially now, when Great Britain is leaving, the EU should open doors to new countries. I’m convinced that would be a proof of the European project still being alive” Duda said.

The Summit will focus on the economic issues as well, and Poland said it could help others since it went through the transition from state-dictated to a market-oriented economy.

The Summit participants include prime ministers of Serbia Ana Brnabic, Montenegro, Dusko Markovic, North Macedonia Zoran Zaev, Kosovo Ramush Haradinaj and Albania Edi Rama, and the Chairman of the Bosnian Ministerial Council Denis Zvizdic.

Also present are German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the UK and French prime ministers Teresa May and Édouard Philippe, the EU Foreign and Security Policy chief Federica Mogherini and the Secretary-general of the Regional Council for Cooperation (RCC) Majlinda Bregu.