Buitenlandcoördinator Ashton: Westelijke Balkan deel van onze gezamenlijke toekomst (en)

The annual meeting of the Western Balkans Forum took place in Luxembourg today, focusing on the European perspective of the region. The Foreign Ministers of the EU and the Western Balkans discussed progress and challenges with a focus on regional cooperation and elections. The Forum also took note of the recent extraordinary developments in the Southern Neighbourhood.

"The meeting provided us with an opportunity to discuss the latest developments with all of our colleagues from the Western Balkans in a strategic manner. Our messages were clear: the Balkans region is very important to the European Union, the European perspective is tangible and we want to see the whole region move forward in EU integration. In some countries there is a need for governments to be formed in order to move forward. Others face different challenges on their road to Europe, including in regional cooperation. We trust that they will all be part of our common future," said Catherine Ashton i , the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the Commission.

The meeting, which followed today's Foreign Affairs Council, was chaired by HR/VP Ashton and was attended by the EU and regional Foreign Ministers, the European Commissioner for Enlargement and Neighbourhood Policy, Stefan Füle i, representatives of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), Council of Europe and UN SRSG Lamberto Zannier.