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German Chancellor Merz to meet Western Balkan leaders at EU summit
๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡พ Paraguay /Elections & Politics

German Chancellor Merz to meet Western Balkan leaders at EU summit

From ABC Color · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News From a news agency New plan
  • German Chancellor Friedrich Merz will hold bilateral meetings with Western Balkan leaders at the upcoming EU summit.
  • The discussions will focus on the accession process of these nations into the European Union.
  • Merz plans to propose concrete steps to accelerate integration, including observer status and phased access to the EU's internal market.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is set to intensify bilateral contacts with leaders from the Western Balkan countries during the upcoming EU summit. The meetings, scheduled for Friday in Tivat, Montenegro, will center on the accession process for these nations into the European Union.

Merz will meet with Prime Ministers Hristijan Mickoski of North Macedonia and Edi Rama of Albania, as well as heads of state Jakov Milatoviฤ‡ of Montenegro, Aleksandar Vuฤiฤ‡ of Serbia, and Denis Beฤ‡iroviฤ‡ of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina. During his meeting with Vuฤiฤ‡, Merz will be joined by French President Emmanuel Macron, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and European Council President Antรณnio Costa.

The federal chancellor will pay special attention to the accession perspectives of the six Western Balkan countries and will present the first concrete proposals to accelerate integration into EU institutions and policies, even before full accession.

โ€” German government sourcesDescribing Chancellor Merz's agenda for the EU-Western Balkans summit.

A key focus of these discussions will be the "accession perspectives" for the six Western Balkan countries. Merz intends to present initial concrete proposals aimed at accelerating their integration into EU institutions and policies, even before full membership is achieved. He has previously expressed that the prospect of the Western Balkans joining the EU is a major priority, seeking to inject new momentum into their integration.

Earlier in May, Merz sent a letter to Von der Leyen, Costa, and Cypriot Prime Minister Nikos Christodoulides, proposing measures to expedite the Western Balkans' incorporation into the bloc. His suggestions include granting observer status in European institutions, offering greater involvement in EU decision-making processes, and providing privileged access to the EU's internal market through phased integration. Merz will use the summit to further discuss these proposals for the Balkan nations.

The chancellor will take advantage of the summit to exchange views on his proposals.

โ€” German government sourcesIndicating Merz's intention to discuss his integration plans with Balkan leaders.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ABC Color in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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