A summit of leaders from the Berlin Process was held in Sveti Stefan, Montenegro. At the summit, which focused primarily on the accelerated integration of the Western Balkans, a strong message was delivered by Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker, who explicitly emphasized that bilateral disputes must not be used as a brake on the enlargement process.
The post-summit press conference confirmed that the Macedonian government’s position regarding “unfair blockades” is met with understanding among key European partners. Austrian Chancellor Stocker, whose country is set to assume the next presidency of the Berlin Process, conveyed a clear message that is directly relevant to the Macedonian situation.
“I am pleased to reiterate here what I stated last week at the European Council in Brussels: bilateral issues must not hinder the accession process. They must not delay a process of such geopolitical importance,”Stocker stressed, adding that the promise made in Thessaloniki 23 years ago must finally be kept.