On 13 May, Deputy Minister Benedetto Della Vedova took part in an informal meeting of EU Foreign Ministers, with the participation of their counterparts from Albania and Northern Macedonia.
The focus of the virtual meeting was an exchange of views on the domestic and regional dynamics in the Western Balkans and on strategies to optimise cooperation with the European Union and make progress in the enlargement process.
The Secretary General of the European External Action Service, Mr. Sannino, and the Special Representative for the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue and other Western Balkan regional issues, Mr. Lajčák, also attended the meeting.
While opening the meeting, the Deputy Minister expressed his appreciation for the broad consensus recorded at the Foreign Affairs Council of 10 May on the need to convey a clear and strong message on the European Union’s commitment in the Western Balkans, which must be reflected in a serious and credible enlargement process.
Therefore, Deputy Minister Della Vedova said it is more essential than ever to rapidly provide tangible signs, first and foremost the priority adoption of the negotiating frameworks for Albania and North Macedonia and the convening of the Intergovernmental Conferences as soon as possible. This must be accompanied by the continued commitment of the two countries, reaffirmed during the meeting by Ministers Osmani and Xhaçka, to continue along the path of reform, guided by a concrete European perspective.
