The Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), Zoran Tegeltija, pointed out at the working lunch of the leaders of the Western Balkan countries in Tirana with the Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, Angela Merkel, that the crisis caused by the spread of the coronavirus pandemic reminded of the importance of cooperation, solidarity,and efficient coordination.
He assessed that the Berlin process raised regional cooperation to a higher level and made a significant contribution to speeding up the resolution of some issues and improving the connectivity of the Western Balkans. According to him, the Berlin process encourages investment in infrastructure projects and connectivity projects, which is the basic driver for the economic progress of our region.
Chairman Tegeltija explained that the common goal is to shorten the marathon time frame for making progress in the process of enlargement and accession to the European Union (EU).
“EU enlargement to the Western Balkans is a two-way process and requires a new motive, both in the enlargement and accession process. The general impression is that the EU creates the illusion of an open enlargement policy while keeping the prospects for accession as far away as possible. The change of this kind of politics would be an impulse for the dynamization of reforms,” stated the Chairman of the Council of Ministers.
According to Chairman Tegeltija, the countries of the Western Balkans should be given a more significant role and participation in EU processes and closer ties with the EU even before the formal fulfillment of the criteria and conditions for membership.
He emphasized that the reforms are not being implemented because of membership, but for improving the quality of life of citizens, and also that the fatigue from the enlargement process, which is evident, does not bring good to anyone and slows down all processes, Klix.ba writes.
E.Dz.
