German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has called on Kosovo and Serbia to intensify the dialogue for the normalization of relations, while he requested the involvement of Germany in this process.
In his speech at the Berlin Process Summit held the day before in London (October 22), where the leaders of the Western Balkans and those of the EU were present, Merz said that the time has come for Pristina and Belgrade to fully implement the commitments they have undertaken.
“That is why today I also spoke about the dialogue on normalization between Serbia and Kosovo. Unfortunately, this year there has been a lack of progress again. I want the German government to be involved in this process. I have also said this personally. It is time for both countries to fully implement the commitments they have made. We will discuss this together.” he declared.
Furthermore, Merz focused on the European integration of the Western Balkans, where he praised the adoption of a joint declaration for reconciliation and good neighborly relations, which should be implemented in practice. He emphasized that the future of the region is in the European Union.
“I am happy that we have reached a joint declaration on reconciliation and good neighborly relations. Now we have to implement it. Because the future of the six countries of the Western Balkans is in the European Union. The Berlin Process takes them forward on this path. The countries we call the Western Balkans belong to us. I told the representatives of these countries, heads of state and government, that we want them as members of the European Union, because we know that the challenges we face at the national and international level can only be solved together”he added.
Merz underlined the importance of strengthening bilateral relations with Germany and emphasized that the Berlin Process has supported regional cooperation for over ten years, being more important than ever due to global challenges.
