Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belgium, Maxime Prévot, will visit five Western Balkan countries to support their European Union membership prospects.
Prévot will begin the trip today in Montenegro, before traveling to Serbia, North Macedonia, Kosovo, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, reports The Brussels Times.
"The Western Balkans are not at Europe's gates; they are part of Europe. Their security is our security, their stability is our stability," said Prévot.
He emphasized the need for a credible integration perspective, adding that "some of these countries have been waiting for more than twenty years," but must also show courage in implementing necessary reforms.
However, what stands out is the absence of Albania on Prévot's agenda. Albania continues to remain under close scrutiny by the European Union for rule of law issues and institutional strengthening, especially after the recent approach the Rama government took regarding the Balluku issue.
Currently, 9 European Union countries have blocked the approval of IBAR, the key report that paves the way for closing negotiation chapters. It is unknown whether the absence of the visit is linked to a signal from Brussels to the government.
Although officially there is no declared connection between developments, Albania's current situation and Brussels' criticisms make the interpretation of these signals on the political level inevitable./ Politiko.al/