“Both countries have undertaken significant reforms and deserve the negotiations to start,” he added.

Organised by the Czech presidency of the Visegrad Group, the event was attended by Austria, Slovenia and Croatia, which at the moment holds the presidency of the Council of the European Union, as well as by the Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Olivér Várhelyi.

In a common statement published today, Minister Jacek Czaputowicz and foreign ministers of Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary expressed their strong support for the EU aspirations of the Western Balkan states, and especially for opening accession negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania. The head of Polish diplomacy stressed that Poland along with representatives of other countries which gathered in Prague overwhelmingly support the European prospects of the Western Balkans.

“In order to demonstrate our firm support for the European aspirations of Macedonians and Albanians even more, I have invited the foreign ministers of Lithuania and Latvia to pay a joint visit in Skopje and Tirana, where we will meet with the heads of both countries, but also, among others, with students,” highlighted Minister Czaputowicz.

The Prague meeting was an opportunity to discuss the European Commission’s statement of 5 February 2020, which introduced a revised EU enlargement methodology, and to coordinate positions ahead of the March meetings of the General Affairs Council and the European Council.

Croatia also presented its plans for the EU-Western Balkans Summit which will be held this May in Zagreb. During today’s event an agreement on support and cooperation was signed between the International Visegrad Fund and the Western Balkans Fund.

Minister Jacek Czaputowicz underlined that Poland continues its widespread support for the region through permanent projects, in which we share our accession process experience. Among the projects there are: Enlargement Academy for Western Balkan states’ officials and expert conferences organised in Skopje, Belgrade, Tirana, and soon, in Sarajevo. Polish MFA in cooperation with the German Embassy in Warsaw organizes a seminar on reconciliation for young people from the Western Balkans, Poland and Germany. Our country actively participates in EU missions and operations in the Western Balkans, both military and civilian ones: EUFOR ALTHEA in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and EULEX in Kosovo. The head of Polish diplomacy reminded that in response to the tragic earthquake in Albania, Poland declared a support of 2,7 million euro for rebuilding the country.

 

MFA Press Office

 

Fot. Tymom Markowski / MFA