Belgrade, 9 September 2021 (MIA) – A priority of Stockholm and Prague during their presidency with the European Union will be the Western Balkans and the progress of the countries in the region in the reforms aimed at respecting European values, the Foreign Ministers of Sweden and the Czech Republic, Ann Linde and Jakub Kulhanek, said Thursday. According to MIA’s Belgrade correspondent, the Czech Republic will hold the EU presidency from July 2022, and Sweden will take over the presidency in January 2023. “I’d like to hear a promise at the EU – Western Balkans summit during the Czech presidency, to hear a promise on a concrete date for, say, Serbia, Albania and North Macedonia to join the EU,” Kulhanek told a joint press conference with Linde. The Swedish Foreign Minister stressed that it all depends on the progress in the reforms that must be aimed at respecting the European values in those countries. “The Balkans are of utmost importance. Albania and North Macedonia have fulfilled the requirements for start of negotiations, and they should start immediately,” Linde said. Minister Kulhanek mentioned that the EU has been promising the Western Balkan countries a European perspective for many years, but is not in a situation to fulfill those promises. “The enlargement process will take years, but it is necessary to send a signal that we are counting on these countries. This will benefit not only the Western Balkan countries, but the entire EU. This would help, for example, to deal effectively with illegal migration,” said the Czech Foreign Minister.