Western Balkans need credible, results-driven path to EU: RCC chief

Amer Kapetanović, Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), asserted that the Western Balkans require a credible and just accession path toward the European Union, but stressed that this credibility must be backed by tangible outcomes. Speaking at the 19th Dubrovnik Forum, Kapetanović stated that the EU's engagement in the Western Balkans is no longer solely a matter of enlargement policy but a strategic imperative for Europe as a whole.

"Political commitments must be transformed into reforms, investments, stronger regional cooperation, and concrete benefits for citizens," Kapetanović said. He added that in an increasingly divided and uncertain world, completing the European project necessitates the inclusion of the Western Balkans into the European family.

The Dubrovnik Forum, held under the theme "The Age of Multipolarity: Many Directions, One Future," convened political leaders, diplomats, policymakers, and experts to discuss global shifts, European security, and the importance of cooperation in a fragmented environment. The panel on the EU and the Western Balkans specifically addressed the strategic urgency of the Union's involvement in the region and the need to translate political commitments into credible implementation.

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Political commitments must be transformed into reforms, investments, stronger regional cooperation, and concrete benefits for citizens.

Participants explored how to maintain a just, merit-based enlargement process while navigating growing geopolitical and security challenges, uneven regional progress, and the need for faster European consolidation. The panel was moderated by former German Army Colonel and High Representative's Chief of Staff, Alexander Rotter. Panelists included the Foreign Ministers of Croatia, Montenegro, Albania, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as a Member of the European Parliament and a representative from the Austrian Ministry for European and International Affairs.

Kapetanović also held a bilateral meeting with the Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of Slovenia, Tone Kajzer, on the sidelines of the forum. They exchanged views on regional cooperation and the European perspectives of the Western Balkans.

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In an increasingly divided and uncertain world, completing the European project necessitates the inclusion of the Western Balkans into the European family.