EU reiterated its unequivocal support to the European perspective of the Western Balkans. The Western Balkans leaders reaffirmed their commitment to the full implementation of the Copenhagen criteria, Stabilisation and Association Process, and the Thessaloniki Agenda. Strengthening of the rule of law; combating organised crime, corruption and illegal migration; and strengthening administrative capacity in border control and security of documents remain the core areas of the future EU-Western Balkans co-operation.
The Foreign Ministers of the EU Member States, the EU candidate countries, and the Western Balkan countries as potential candidates for EU membership, the Secretary General of the Council/High Representative and the European Commission, in the presence of the EU Special Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina, UNMIK and the Special Co-ordinator of the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe met yesterday for the second time at the occasion of the EU-Western Balkans Forum, established by the Thessaloniki Summit in June 2003.
The Stabilisation and Association Process (SAP) remains the main EU policy framework towards the Western Balkans, with the Copenhagen criteria and the Thessaoloniki Agenda as the core parameters of the rapprochement process. The signing of the Agreements − opening up Community Programmes to all Western Balkan countries − was welcomed as another milestone in bringing the Western Balkan countries closer to the European Union.
The May 2004 EU Enlargement is considered as inspiration and encouragement in pursuing the pre-Accession reforms in the Western Balkans. The new EU member States expressed their readiness to share their experiences from the EU integration process with the Western Balkans countries along the road towards the full Accession.
Progress achieved in strengthening and improving regional co-operation, as one of the core objectives of the Thessaloniki Agenda was much appreciated. Effort in forging new confidence and good neighbourhood in the region, undertaken by individual countries and regional initiatives, in particular the Stability Pact, were welcome. A need for finding mutually acceptable solutions and concluding agreements on outstanding issues with neighbouring countries was acknowledged.
The Western Balkan countries reemphasised the importance they attached to the perspective of liberalisation of the EUs visa regime. All participants recognised that progress was dependent on implementing major reforms in areas such as the strengthening of the rule of law, combating organised crime, corruption and illegal migration, and strengthening administrative capacity in border control and security of documents. They looked forward to accelerating these reforms.
The Western Balkan countries confirmed their intention to further liberalise trade amongst each other. They requested that they be included in the pan-european system of diagonal copulation, which would benefit trade and economic development.
Collaboration with the ICTY remains precondition to furthering the EU-Western Balkans relations.
The Ministers welcomed continued ministerial dialogue between the EU and the Western Balkan countries as a sign of ever-closer rapprochement and looked forward to the following EU-Western Balkans Forum (JHA Council), 3 December 2004
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