EU seeks to reassure frustrated Western Balkans leaders amid fears of Russian influence

Record ID: 1701163

  • Title: EU seeks to reassure frustrated Western Balkans leaders amid fears of Russian influence
  • Date: 6th December 2022
  • Summary: TIRANA, ALBANIA (DECEMBER 6, 2022) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF POLICE CARS ALONG THE STREETS STREET DECORATED WITH EUROPEAN UNION FLAGS AND ALBANIA COLOURS
  • Embargoed: 20th December 2022 10:29
  • Keywords: EU summit Kosovo-Serbia relations Western Balkan Summit tensions in Western Balkans
  • Location: TIRANA, ALBANIA
  • City: TIRANA, ALBANIA
  • Country: Albania
  • Topics: Europe,Government/Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA001471906122022RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: European Union and Western Balkans leaders met in the Albanian capital Tirana on Tuesday (December 6) for a summit meant to reassure the region of a future in the wealthy bloc amid fears of rising Russian and Chinese influence.
    The leaders of the six Balkan countries of Albania, Bosnia, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia have long expressed disillusion that negotiations have not started or are stalled, years after being promised eventual EU membership.
    While reluctance over further enlarging the EU is rife among member states, Russia's invasion of Ukraine has pushed them to focus more energy on bringing the region closer to the bloc.
    "I am absolutely convinced that the future of our children will be safer and more prosperous with the Western Balkans within the EU and we are working very hard to make progress," EU Council chief Charles Michel said at the start of the meeting.
    "Kosovo will be submitting its application for EU membership by the end of this year," its president, Vjosa Osmani-Sadriu, said as she arrived at the summit, saying that she hoped an EU summit next week would approve visa liberalisation for Kosovo.
    Old tensions within the region were also clear as she criticised Serbia's attitude and said Kosovo was "100% aligned" with EU views.
    "Whether you stand with Ukraine today or you stand with Russia should matter, whether you have sanctions against Russia or not should matter," Osmani-Sadriu said.
    Meanwhile, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said as he arrived at the summit: "Is Serbia too close to Russia? Serbia is an independent country."
    In a concrete step towards integration, telecommunications operators from the EU and the six Western Balkans leaders signed a deal on Tuesday morning, at the start on the summit, on a cut in data roaming charges from October 2023.
    (Production: Fatos Bytyci, Malgorzata Wojtunik, Clement Rossignol, Sofia Strodt)
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