BRUSSELS – With consent of Western Balkan partners, EU member states will on 17 May adopt a declaration reiterating unequivocal support for the region’s EU perspective and stating the priority tasks and principles to be implemented in the EU integration process.
All 28 EU member states have agreed a final draft of the declaration, to be adopted at an EU-Western Balkans summit in Sofia.
The annex of the declaration will deal with strengthening the ties and cooperation between the EU and the Western Balkans.
Originally planned to be a joint declaration of all member states and six Western Balkan countries, the document will instead be a declaration of the EU members with “consultations with Western Balkan partners”, reads the text of the declaration, seen by Tanjug.
The change is primarily a result of Spain’s refusal to sign a document that would also be signed by Pristina.