German Chancellor Angela Merkel sought Friday to reassure Western Balkan nations aspiring to join the European Union that there is strong support for the process in the EU, saying that the bloc sees their integration to be in its strategic interest.
Merkel, along with British Prime Minister Theresa May and EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, joined a high-level meeting in Poznan, Poland, between leaders from the Western Balkans and from some EU countries that aimed to show that the integration process remains robust, despite an apparent slowdown.
The EU membership candidates are Montenegro, Serbia, North Macedonia and Albania, while Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo are potential candidates.
Speaking at a news conference that concluded the meeting, Merkel stressed that it is the EU’s “strategic interest” to integrate Western Balkans, which border the 28-member club on almost all sides
