Donika Gërvalla-Schwarz, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kosovo EU debates!

Leaders from Serbia, Montenegro, Kosovo, Albania, Macedonia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina will participate in the event to discuss challenges for the region and the EU. The High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, hosted a dinner, on Wednesday 11 May, for the leaders of the six Western Balkan countries to discuss, among other things, the impact of the war in Ukraine. #eudebates the unique initiative aiming to promote debate, dialogue, knowledge, participation and communication among citizens. #BiH #Balkans #Putin #puppets #Rama #Albania #EdiRama #Tirana #Skopje #NorthMacedonia #Bosnia #Bulgaria #BalkansForum #NATO #Kosovo EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell on Wednesday hosted the leaders of the six Western Balkans countries for an informal dinner. “The future of the Western Balkans is inside of the European Union, and this is a very strong reason to hold this meeting,” Borrell told reporters ahead of the dinner. According to Borrell, Russia’s war on Ukraine will dominate the agenda. Calling the six countries the EU’s “closest partner,” he said that the discussion will focus on “how we can address the consequences of the war together.” He also stressed that the EU and the Western Balkans countries have to act in coordination because Russia tries to create divisions and “exploit our vulnerabilities.” The leaders will also talk about the latest developments in the region, including the political crisis in Bosnia and Herzegovina, in preparation for the meeting of EU foreign affairs ministers to be held on Monday. Borrell promised to be “very frank” with Bosnian Serbian leader Milorad Dodik, making the EU's position clear that “there is no space for undermining the unity and territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina.” There is a tradition to meet here, in Brussels, [with] the High Representative on one side, and the six Leaders from the Western Balkans. And I revived this tradition last [year in] May because I think it is a good thing to do. I think it is good to have a collective, strategic, substantial and open exchange about the challenges in the region and about our common European future. And in these days especially. We met in September, in New York. But today, the world is in a completely different situation. In September, nobody could expect that we would be with one aggressor bringing back war to Europe. And looking at this destructive impact of a senseless bloodshed; we do not remember – the Europeans do not remember war, and now we see war on our borders. The last war in Europe was in the Balkans, now it is in Ukraine. And today will be a good occasion to discuss the global and regional impact of Putin’s war, an illegal war against the Ukrainian people and against the international rules-based order. It is not a quest to defend Russia, it is against the international rules-based order. I want to discuss with our closest partners, the six Balkans leaders represent our closest partners - not only from a geographical point of view I am talking with them as future members of the European Union - to talk about how we can address the consequences of this war together. As always, I am keen to hear about the concerns these leaders have in regard to this situation and how they foresee our joint action to defend rules and values, and how to deal with the negative impact of Putin’s war - on food, on energy, and on stability on our shared continent. Because we know that Russia is trying to exploit our vulnerabilities, and the vulnerabilities of the region. We should work together in order not to allow Russia to exploit these vulnerabilities. As I said before – the Western Balkans are not our backyard, it is our courtyard. It is part of our geography. It is not the backyard, it is the courtyard. And we will act jointly to face Russia’s disruptive actions directly in the region - [be it] through disinformation and cyberattacks. I welcome that most of our partners in the Western Balkans are aligned fully - and from day one - with the European Union’s response to the Russian aggression against Ukraine. And I call on the others to do so. Most of them did, I will call on others to do so. Tonight’s discussions will feed in the ongoing engagement with the Western Balkans, which remains our strategic priority. It is our most important foreign policy. And we will recall that - once again - next Monday, at the Foreign Affairs Council, we will have a full-fledged political discussion on the region. And this meeting today, this dinner today, will be for me the best way of preparing the discussion at the Foreign Affairs Council. And on this occasion, we will invite the Foreign Ministers of these countries to join our lunch. ...