With this decision the Council recognizes the reforms carried out by both countries in the recent years as well as confirms the credibility of the enlargement policy and the EU’s commitment to supporting the Western Balkans countries on their way to the EU membership.   

Poland expresses satisfaction with this decision, based on the firm belief that the enlargement policy contributes to stability, security and prosperity not only in the Western Balkans but in Europe as a whole. European integration of the Western Balkans remains one of the strategic political objectives of the European Union.

Poland pursues a consequent policy of actively supporting the European aspirations of the Western Balkans countries, both in the bilateral and multilateral dimensions. Last year’s Poland’s presidency of the Berlin Process supporting the region’s integration with the EU and the Western Balkans Summit in Poznań contributed to keeping the issue of the region’s European perspective high on the EU agenda. During the last months the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was particularly active within the Group of Friends of Enlargement, aiming at reaching a compromise among all EU Member States on opening accession negotiations with Albania and North Macedonia which resulted in today’s success. Also to this aim, Foreign Minister Jacek Czaputowicz together with the foreign ministers of Lithuania and Latvia and the deputy foreign minister of Estonia paid a visit to Skopje and Tirana in early March.     

We hope that the European Commission will swiftly present proposals of negotiating frameworks for both countries and that the actual talks will begin as soon as possible, on the basis of the general objectives set out in the enhanced accession process methodology proposed by the Commission. The pace of accession negotiations should depend solely on the progress in reforms of the candidate countries in the areas identified by the Commission and the Council and on respect for EU values. Alignment of the candidate countries’ foreign policies with the EU Common Foreign and Security Policy is also an important criterion.

 

MFA Press Office

 

Fot. Tymon Markowski / MFA