TIRANA: Germany’s Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock conveyed the European Union’s profound apprehensions on Friday in the wake of a recent violent altercation between masked Serb gunmen and Kosovo police, resulting in four casualties and a surge of tensions in the region.
Baerbock was present in Tirana, Albania, attending a gathering of foreign ministers before the upcoming Oct. 16 summit on the Berlin Process. This initiative, jointly led by Germany and France, aims to encourage six Western Balkans countries to persist in their efforts towards EU membership.
The meeting convened foreign ministers from the six nations—Albania, Bosnia, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia. In addition to Baerbock, EU Enlargement Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi and other senior EU officials were also in attendance.
“The foundation for mobility in the region is security and safety,” emphasized Baerbock ahead of the meeting, underscoring the critical role of stability in advancing regional integration. She further pointed out, “The tensions within the last days between Serbia and Kosovo are also endangering this Berlin Process.”
Kosovo-Serbia Tension
The incident on Sept. 24 saw approximately 30 heavily armed Serb men fatally attack a Kosovar police officer and subsequently establish barricades in northern Kosovo. This led to a prolonged gun battle with Kosovo police. Kosovo accused Serbia of orchestrating this “act of aggression” against its former province, whose 2008 declaration of independence Belgrade does not recognize. Serbia, however, denied involvement, asserting that the group acted independently.
The six Western Balkan nations are at various stages of integration into the EU. Croatia, also from the Western Balkans, became the EU’s latest member in 2013. However, progress has since slowed, and there is no clear timeline for further membership.
Baerbock stressed the need for a faster and deeper approach towards EU accession, emphasizing the pivotal role of the Berlin process in enhancing connectivity and collaboration within the region.
The European Union has yet to consider the readiness of the remaining Western Balkan countries’ economies and political institutions for integration into the EU’s single market, characterized by borderless trade and Western democratic principles.
The conflict in Ukraine has significantly prioritized the integration of the Western Balkans on the EU’s agenda. As the EU endeavours to revitalize its enlargement process, Ukraine, along with Moldova and Georgia, is also actively pursuing membership within the bloc.
