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Minister Darmanović at Bled Strategic Forum: European integration is joint responsibility of Western Balkans and EU

Published on: Sep 4, 2019 1:00 AM Author: PR Service
Minister of Foreign Affairs Srđan Darmanović took part today in the Bled Strategic Forum (BSF), which was attended by senior officials from the EU, the Region and the USA.

This year's BSF, entitled "(Re)Sources of (In)Stability", addresses issues of international security, the management of strategic resources for sustainability, climate change, and the challenges of economic development, progress and democracy.

During the Forum, Minister Darmanović was a speaker on the panel "Western Balkans - Europeanization, Democratization, Shared Responsibility", dedicated to the impact of progress in integration processes on the adoption of Western values and democratic standards.

He stressed that European integration is a shared responsibility of the Western Balkans and the EU. He noted that the previous semester did not bring much progress to the region on EU integration, despite significant efforts being made by the governments of the Western Balkan countries. Furthermore, he stressed that despite internal challenges, the European Union must have a clear policy towards our region, which implies a decisive continuation of enlargement policy, and stressed the expectation that the European Council in October would give a positive signal in the context of opening negotiations with North Macedonia, Albania, and the last negotiating chapter with Montenegro.

During the Bled Strategic Forum, Minister Darmanović met with Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, Special Representative for the Western Balkans Matthew Palmer, Deputy Secretaries-General of the European External Action Service (EEAS) Jean-Christophe Belliard and Pedro Serrano, President of the Horasis Foundation Frank-Jürgen Richter and Executive Director of the Centre for European Perspective Katja Geršak.

The meetings focused on security developments in Europe and the Region, and the importance of integrating the Western Balkans into the EU. Montenegro is recognised as a contributor to stability, and as a reliable neighbour and constructive partner, both through regional and multilateral mechanisms, and bilaterally.
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