(Hina) - Participants in the conference on the Western Balkans in Berlin on Thursday agreed that it was necessary to strengthen cooperation in the region over the next four years so that those countries would meet the EU membership requirements as soon as possible.
We have agreed that today's conference should be the start of a four-year period during which efforts will be intensified to make progress in the reform processes, the participants said in a joint statement after the meeting. The German government stressed once again that it supported the prospects of all Western Balkan countries joining the European Union.
Citizens of this region have great expectations, especially about economic prosperity, German Chancellor Angela Merkel told the press after the conference. We have met here to look at the future. This is an important signal showing that EU membership has no alternative, she added. Merkel stressed the need to improve infrastructure in the region.
European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said that one of the priorities of the process initiated by the conference today was to intensify work on the region's transport and energy infrastructure. There are simply too many missing links when it comes to infrastructure in the region, which hinders economic development and better links between the southeast and northwest of Europe, Barroso said, highlighting the EU prospects of all Western Balkan countries.
The conference participants agreed that outstanding bilateral issues should be tackled as quickly as possible, and in that regard the prime ministers of Kosovo and Serbia expressed their determination to step up the process of improving their relations. The conference participants undertook to take further steps in combating corruption and organised crime and in establishing the rule of law in their respective countries. They also committed to promoting the role of the opposition and civil society, a pluralist media environment, independent trade unions and an economy free of political influence. The joint statement also stressed the need to increase exports, which will be supported by an initiative to increase purchases in the Western Balkan countries as of next spring.
Croatian Prime Minister Zoran Milanović said on Thursday that the conference on the Western Balkans was a success, both politically and because of the projects discussed. “This was a relaxing exchange of experience, of which there is not enough in the region,” Milanovic said after the meeting. He added that the conference also addressed the issue of transport infrastructure, mentioning in that context the Adriatic-Ionian Motorway and the Pelješac Bridge, which he said was a priority. “That highway will keep Croatian highways full throughout the year because it brings money and it (the project) should be launched immediately,” he said.
“We have discussed two key topics: the political preparation of the countries in the region for EU membership and economic requirements for EU membership,” First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Vesna Pusić told press after the meeting. Pusić said it was good that after a long time Germany had again shown interest in the region by organising a Western Balkan conference in Berlin. “After a long time Germany has again shown a very active interest in the region, which is important and good," Pusić said. She said today's summit in Berlin was a good indicator in the context of Croatia's initiative to have the region remain on the European Union's agenda despite other hot spots. "We believe the process of reform of the countries in the region, of drawing closer to and membership of the EU and NATO isn't over and that it would be harmful if our region was somehow marginalised and forgotten."
Opening the event, German Economic Affairs and Energy Minister and Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel said today's conference was the beginning of a series of regular, annual meetings dedicated to the Western Balkans. He underlined the importance of the prospect of European Union membership for the countries in the region, saying Germany strongly supported that. Germany stands by the vows made in Thessaloniki, he said. Opening the economic part of the conference, Gabriel said German business people were interested in investing in Western Balkan countries and that a poll showed that 83 per cent of German investors who did business in the region wanted to do it again. He said the region's economic priorities, to be discussed at the conference, must be to encourage exports and investments. He underlined the need to invest in vocational education. Speaking of the region's potential, Gabriel highlighted tourism and the advantages of the Adriatic coast. He said he gladly visited Croatia and that its potential for tourism development was big.
Speaking after Gabriel, European Commission Vice President and Economy and Energy Commissioner Guenther H. Oettinger underlined the importance of investing in energy, notably in the strengthening of the energy infrastructure between EU and Western Balkans countries as well as within the region.
Speaking at a panel on economic cooperation in the region, Croatian Economy Minister Ivan Vrdoljak said the energy infrastructure in the region was well-connected, highlighting the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP). The TAP is important for Croatia as well as for Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro, he said, adding that the countries in the region had made big progress in cooperating on infrastructure development. In terms of infrastructure development, we don't think only nationally, but regionally too, he said.
The conference ended with a working dinner at which all the participants and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso presented the results of today's talks.