German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will tour the Western Balkans in June “with the clear message that the Western Balkans belong in the European Union,” according to Aljazeera.
On Thursday, Scholz spoke to German legislators about the importance of enlargement in the Western Balkans given the influence of “external power” in the region.
“Honouring our commitments to them is not just a question of our credibility. Today more than ever, their integration is also in our strategic interests,” Scholz said.
The General Affairs Council of the EU will meet in late June, where it is expected to vote on whether to open accession talks with Albanian and North Macedonia. In June 2021, Bulgaria vetoed the decision as a result of its own cultural and language issues with the latter.
Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, European leaders have put the emphasis on integration as a way to counter its influence on the Western Balkans. On Monday, EU’s chief diplomat Josef Borrell said that keeping Albania and North Macedonia in the waiting room of the EU is a gift to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
On Thursday, the European Parliament is set to vote on a resolution urging the Council to start negotiation talks with North Macedonia and Albania, as ” both countries have fulfilled the set conditions and delivered sustained results.”
“The EU must assess the historically important security implications of the enlargement process for stability and unity on the European continent and the Western Balkans,” according to MEPs.
