Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Tuesday reaffirmed Germany’s support to the Western Balkan countries and their integration into the EU.
“For the German government, a rapid integration of the six Western Balkan countries into the EU has a strategic importance,” Scholz told a joint news conference with Albania’s Prime Minister Edi Rama.
“We would like to welcome these countries as member states in the EU as soon as possible. For that, Albania’s progress in the EU membership process is also a very good signal,” he said.
Scholz said leaders of the EU and Western Balkan countries will gather in Tirana on Oct. 16 for a summit, as part of the Berlin Process initiative, to discuss further steps to enhance cooperation, and speed up the region's integration into the EU.