Prime Minister Marin at summit: Unity of the EU and the Western Balkans is more important than ever before

Prime Minister Sanna Marin attended the EU-Western Balkans summit in Tirana, Albania.

The summit declaration reconfirms the EU’s commitment to the EU perspective of the Western Balkans, and stresses the importance of upholding common values, making progress towards alignment with the EU’s Common Foreign and Security Policy and deepening cooperation in key areas.

Prime Minister Marin called attention to the importance of unity between the EU and the Western Balkans in the changed security and geopolitical situation following Russia's war of aggression.

“The EU is committed to the Western Balkans. Due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, our unity has never been as important as this year. It is also important to communicate this to our citizens,” Marin says.

According to Prime Minister Marin, the focus should be on strengthening security and resilience by further deepening cooperation, especially in foreign and security policy, the energy sector and in responding to hybrid threats. 

The discussions at the summit emphasised the concrete benefits of cooperation for citizens in the EU countries and the Western Balkans.

The objectives include creating opportunities for young people through various EU programmes and deepening market integration. Before the summit, the parties signed a declaration on the objective of reducing and gradually removing roaming costs between the EU and the Western Balkans.

The EU has strongly supported the Western Balkan countries in responding to the energy and food crisis caused by Russia’s war of aggression. The countries participate in the EU’s food security mechanism and in energy cooperation. The Commission has also proposed a support package of EUR 1 billion for energy investments in the Western Balkans.

The Western Balkan region consists of six EU partners: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia.

This was the first time the EU-Western Balkans summit was held in the Western Balkans region.

Inquiries: Jari Luoto, Director General, EU Affairs Department, tel. +358 50 468 5949, Saara Pokki, Special Adviser (EU Affairs), tel. +358 50 478 6363 and Rami Kurth, Communications Specialist (EU Affairs), tel. +358 50 465 7963, Prime Minister’s Office