We, the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Albania, Bulgaria, Italy, North Macedonia and Romania,
Recalling the conclusions of the First Ministerial Meeting held in Brindisi on 27 July 2023, the subsequent discussions of the Foreign Ministers in Brussels in December 2025, and the Letter of Intent signed at the 2024 Washington Summit on the establishment of a Harmonized Military Mobility Corridor along Pan-European Corridor VIII;
Guided by the principles of the Treaties of the European Union, the EU enlargement process, the TEN-T framework and the commitments within NATO;
Reaffirming our commitment to close cooperation and good neighbourly relations, and considering Corridor VIII to be a strategic East–West axis linking the Adriatic and Black Seas and a core component of the TEN-T network, contributing to stability, prosperity and security in South-East Europe.
STRATEGIC AND POLITICAL CONTEXT
We reiterate that Corridor VIII is of strategic importance with political, economic and security relevance, contributing to European cohesion regional cooperation and the gradual integration of the Western Balkans into the European Union;
We underline that the coordinated and timely implementation of Corridor VIII addresses long-standing connectivity gaps in South-East Europe, while enhancing the credibility, visibility and tangible impact of the enhanced EU commitment to fully integrate the region into the common European space of security, stability and prosperity.;
We emphasize that this strategic infrastructure project constitutes a key framework for building political trust, strengthening good neighbourly relations and fostering people-to-people contacts, particularly among youth.
We strongly condemn Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and support international political and diplomatic efforts to secure an agreement that ends the conflict, paving the way for a durable and lasting peace and a future of prosperity for Ukraine and its people.
ECONOMIC INTEGRATION AND CONNECTIVITY
We acknowledge the importance of regional economic integration, in line with the four freedoms of the European Union, as a key driver of sustainable growth, competitiveness and economic convergence;
We recognize the Western Balkans and the Black Sea region as important markets and transit areas for European and international trade;
We underline that Corridor VIII is a backbone infrastructure project that facilitates trade flows, improves logistics efficiency, and strengthens regional and European supply chains. By linking production capacities and labour markets, it fosters economic interdependence while enhancing regional resilience, including in times of crisis and emergencies;
We agree that investments in sustainable, resilient and interoperable infrastructure, in line with the EU Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans, as well as the Growth Plan, are essential to support the gradual integration of the region into the EU Single Market.
We emphasize that intermodal connectivity is essential to strengthen regional cooperation and generate common growth by enhancing competitiveness, supporting decarbonization, and delivering tangible benefits through closer economic and institutional cooperation across the Region.
SECURITY, RESILIENCE AND MILITARY MOBILITY
We reaffirm our strong commitment to Corridor VIII as a priority for enhancing military mobility, resilience and connectivity, within the framework of strengthened EU–NATO cooperation, contributing directly to the security of the Alliance’s South-Eastern and Eastern flanks, including in peacetime, crisis and conflict;
We emphasize that improved connectivity and infrastructure protection along Corridor VIII has a direct implication into execution of NATO’s Regional plan and strengthen the collective ability to safeguard critical infrastructure and to prevent and respond to hybrid threats, disinformation, irregular migration and malign third-party influence, in a security environment where developments along Europe’s eastern borders have direct implications for the stability of the Western Balkans, the Black Sea and the Mediterranean, which remain of strategic importance to NATO;
IMPLEMENTATION AND FOLLOW-UP
We reaffirm our unwavering commitment to transforming Corridor VIII into a strategic lifeline of European connectivity, economic development and prosperity, while keeping it prominently on the political agenda at both national and European levels, as a demonstration of shared responsibility, long-term commitment, and a common strategic vision for the region;
We commit to intensifying joint efforts to mobilise financial resources from EU instruments, including the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF), IPA III, and the Western Balkans Investment Framework (WBIF), as well as from international financial institutions and public-private partnerships;
We agree to consolidate this five-party format as a structured high-level political platform for dialogue and cooperation, and to continue regular political and technical consultations to advance promptly Corridor VIII as a fully operational, resilient and integrated axis of European connectivity and security.
