Βίντεο: https://youtu.be/7JpQzNOEadk
Dear friends,
We are at a crossroad and we have to stick and work together with all Western Balkan countries.
I see our occasion to gather here today as a continuation of this tradition in this location, as the Western Balkans have always played an important role in European history.
If the recent challenges have shown us one thing, it is that we are all part of the bigger European family.
Today, with both migration and security high on our shared political agendas, I am pleased to see that our cooperation is intensifying.
After the unprecedented wave of migrants crossing the Western Balkans to enter central Europe, the Western Balkan route is now relatively stable, but we remain vigilant.
The implementation of the EU-Turkey statement, the support of EU-Agencies as well as the efforts made by all the countries along the route, have contributed substantially to the positive change.
The EU continues to support the Western Balkans countries in these efforts, not just financially, but also operationally.
With the new European Border and Coast Guard, additional border management support will now be possible in third countries, and the Western Balkans is a priority region for us.
A regional liaison officer will be deployed in spring next year.
Europol is another important agency which offers support to the region, on both smuggling but also security and terrorism issues.
We will also deploy Europol liaison officers to the entire region in the near future.
Terrorism knows no borders, and the Western Balkan countries are key partners for the EU in our common fight against terrorism.
With the Western Balkans Counter Terrorism Initiative, our cooperation does not start from scratch but must be intensified because the terrorist threat to the entire continent remains high.
While the flow of foreign terrorist fighters may have decreased, the question of returnees remains a shared challenge, as well as a threat.
It is absolutely essential that we enhance our collaboration in our counter-terrorism efforts on all fronts: starting from prevention and anti-radicalisation, to stopping terrorist fighters from leaving, and halting the acquisition and trafficking of illegal firearms.
Our joint political statement on firearms today is a demonstration of political commitment to step up gears collectively.
Finally, I want to end on an issue which I know is important here, and is important to the EU too: mobility and visa-free travel.
In an effort to continue ringing the Western Balkans closer to the EU, and to facilitate, strengthen and safeguard visa-free travel, we have proposed the European Travel Information and Authorisation System.
It will be cheap, quick, and easy – and it won’t change a single thing for 95% of the travellers from this region.
But it will allow us to better detect security and migration threats for the benefit of all of us.
Similarly, the new visa suspension mechanism will allow us to better fight abuses, and thereby strengthen visa-free travel for the genuine travellers.
I hope this will also pave the way for visa liberalisation for Kosovo, once the outstanding benchmarks are fulfilled.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Now, more than ever, a close and solid relationship between the Western Balkans and the EU is vital.
Even beyond the issues of migration and terrorism, our past and present are shared, and so is our future, as we all belong to the wider European family.
While the ghosts of nationalism of the past are still fresh, we must all look to the future, which is joint and European.
This is why I look forward to the next meeting next year in one of the Western Balkan countries. The EU remains committed to strengthening the EU-Western Balkans relationship.