Blanar: Slovakia Continues to Support Western Balkan Countries' EU Integration

Vienna, 5 December (TASR) - Foreign Affairs Minister Juraj Blanar (Smer-SD) at a meeting of the Friends of the Western Balkans group in Vienna on Thursday (4 December) confirmed Slovakia's support for the EU-integration processes of the countries of the region, the Foreign Affairs Ministry's communications department has informed TASR. The meeting took place during the 32nd session of the Ministerial Council of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). The progress made by the Western Balkan countries in the process of gradual integration into the EU, defining priorities for further steps in the context of the current security situation in Europe, and effective communication on EU enlargement were high on the agenda of the meeting. A working dinner dedicated to energy and security issues was held as part of the meeting. According to Blanar, Slovakia has been a long-term and consistent supporter of the Western Balkan countries' EU-integration process at both the political and expert levels. "This has been confirmed by the results of the August Eurobarometer survey, which showed that Slovakia is among the EU countries with the highest level of support for EU enlargement to include candidate states from the Western Balkans," stated the head of Slovak diplomacy. Blanar at the meeting highlighted the concept of gradual integration as a practical tool that might accelerate the countries' approach to full EU membership. He also pointed to the importance of the European Commission's regular evaluation reports on Western Balkan countries. "These documents represent extremely useful guidance for the period of the following year, whether directly in accession talks or during preparations for them," said the minister. Blanar also stressed the need to show concrete results of reform efforts and the benefits of integration. "The best approach is to demonstrate that the results of transformation and integration efforts pay off. At the same time, we should actively use the positive examples of Montenegro and Albania," said Blanar, adding that there's a need to pay special attention to countries that are lagging behind in the process and to seek solutions to unblock further progress in cooperation with all parties concerned. 'Friends of the Western Balkans' is an informal grouping that was established in July 2023 at the initiative of Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg. Its members are Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Greece, Croatia, Austria, Slovenia and Italy. The grouping aims to support the accelerated accession process of Western Balkan countries into the EU through enhanced cooperation and political dialogue, as well as through the provision of investment and grant support. Slovakia is an active member of the group, and, according to Blanar, it's ready to host a meeting of its members in the first half of 2026. ko/df