The entire European continent must resist Russian destabilisation

Not only do the multidimensional consequences of the Russian invasion of Ukraine affect the countries of the European Union. The countries of the Western Balkans are extremely important to us, and that is why we must work with them on a common response to the crisis caused by Putin's criminal regime.

”This is very important to us because 3 out of 6 Western Balkan countries are already NATO member states, so they are expanding security spaces. These countries in particularly are under attack today from propaganda, especially Russian propaganda, and fake news. We can clearly see how the conflict in Ukraine is spreading to other parts of the continent”, said the Head of the Polish Government.

Russian actions do not end with military aggression in Ukraine. Today, the Kremlin is trying unsuccessfully to undermine the stability of the entire European continent by attacking us with propaganda and misinformation and also by fuelling internal conflicts – both between states and within them.

Cooperation within Europe is the key to peace and development

The European Union and the Western Balkans are very close partners in every dimension. Trade and cultural exchange, common political and development perspectives and security issues are the bonds formed by our cooperation. Recently, however, issues related to energy security and independence, as well as the elimination of Russian influence, have become top priority.

”Today we are in a moment of very deep interdependence between what is happening in the south of our continent, in the west, in the north, and above all what is happening in the east – emphasized Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki after the meeting with the leaders”.

We are aware of the effort and years of work put into building friendship and cooperation on our continent. We are building a new, better history for Europe every day, showing that prosperity and understanding are within our reach. Today, we cannot allow anyone to undermine this, least of all imperialist Russia.

Participants of the Western Balkans Summit in Berlin

The Summit was attended by six Western Balkan countries: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Serbia and some Member States of the European Union. One additional participant was Great Britain. European and international institutions were also involved in the summit.

Polish support for the Western Balkans

Poland supports the initiative to enlarge the European Union to include the countries of the Western Balkans. We were formally involved in this process in 2018 and chaired work on EU enlargement in 2019. The culmination of our presidency was the Western Balkans Summit, which took place in Poznań.

”A series of talks confirmed that Poland had made a very wise decision a few years ago by assisting –or even co-directing – the entire integration process. This is appreciated today by our partners – British, German or French, who were also present today”, said Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki.

During the Polish Presidency in 2019, over 100 political, social, cultural and publishing projects were carried out, in which special attention was paid to the problems of the younger generation. Poland has donated more than €1.5 million to infrastructure projects in the Western Balkans, supporting initiatives including anti-corruption projects.