Brussels, 28 September 2023 (MIA) - While we recognize the importance to discuss intra-EU reforms and the future of the EU, we believe that this should not be used as a pretext to delay the enlargement process of our Western Balkans partners, which we have been discussing for years and decades, reads the letter of the Austrian government addressed to Josep Borrell, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Oliver Varhelyi, European Commissioner for Neighborhood and Enlargement, as well as EU Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Ministers/State Secretaries for European Affairs, MIA reports from Brussels.

Reiterating the joint declaration of the "Friends of the Western Balkans" of June 2023, Austria calls on EU institutions to present a clear agenda for gradual and accelerated integration with concrete implementation steps until 2024 and beyond, based on fair and rigorous conditionality and the principle of own merits.

The letter, signed by Alexander Schallenberg, Federal Minister for European and International Affairs, and Karoline Edtstadler, Federal Minister for the EU and Constitution, reads that Austria fully agrees with the important message that the European Commission President underlined in her recent State of the Union address, "the future of the Western Balkans is in the Union".

"Twenty years after the EU-Western Balkans Summit in Thessaloniki, this message is more important than ever. At the same time, it is obvious that the current enlargement process has become more and more complex and bureaucratic, and it is therefore advancing too slowly," notes the letter.

It adds that the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine has changed Europe's political landscape and has made it even more urgent to tie the Western Balkans countries and their citizens closer to the EU, thus creating a "level playing field" with other candidates and aspiring countries that already enjoy benefits based on Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Areas.

"Building upon the Austrian Non-Paper of May 2022, the European Council Conclusions of 23-24 June 2022, as well as the new growth plan for the Western Balkans announced by the President of the Commission in May 2023, we deem it crucial to further advance the gradual integration of the Western Balkans on the way to full membership," reads the document.

Austria says it has compiled a list of concrete proposals it will elaborate further together with the EU Presidency, EU institutions and interested member-states, in particular "Friends of the Western Balkans".

"We hope that these proposals will contribute to our upcoming discussions and will be swiftly implemented," reads the letter.

Photo: MIA archive