Hungary, which holds the EU’s rotating presidency, will expedite the accession process for Western Balkan countries to the European Union in the second half of next year. President Katalin Novak argues that the European Union has failed to address the issue, as they should have joined the bloc sooner.
“Hungary, too, has finally joined the Berlin Process in the form that we can be here and express Hungary’s position at the highest level, which is clearly in favour of enlargement in the Western Balkans,” she said. She emphasised Hungary’s importance in the Berlin Process summit, as it represents Hungary’s position at the highest level in favour of enlargement in the Western Balkans.
The Berlin Process, created in 2014, aims to strengthen cooperation between Western Balkan countries, specifically Kosovo, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia. A new growth plan related to the integration of these six countries into the EU was discussed during the summit in Albania. The European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, the European Council President, Charles Michel, and the German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, participated in the meeting.
The six Western Balkan countries are at different stages of their journey towards becoming EU members. Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia launched membership negotiations a few years ago, while Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina are in the first step of the integration process. The accession negotiations for Bosnia and Kosovo have not yet begun, with negotiations set to begin later this year or early 2024.
