AGERPRES special correspondent Oana Ghita reports: President Klaus Iohannis on Wednesday encouraged Western Balkan countries to continue on their European path and assured them of Romania's support in this respect.

"Today, at the EU-Western Balkans Summit in Brussels, I have encouraged all WB partners to build on their current track record, accelerate reforms & advance the EU integration processes. Romania is here to offer assistance & fully supports the Growth Plan for the Western Balkans," Iohannis wrote on X.

The summit was a good opportunity to reconfirm the EU's commitment to the European perspective of the region and, on the other hand, the commitment of regional partners to European values as a strategic direction, especially in the context of Russia's aggressive war against Ukraine, according to a press release from the Presidential Administration.

Thus, the meeting focused both on the economic and sectoral components of cooperation, as well as on political dialogue, specifically on the opportunities opened by the Economic Growth Plan for the Western Balkans, and the implementation of the Reform Agendas assumed by the partners.

Discussions with the Western Balkan partners highlighted that the countries are facing common challenges, including the context of Russia's aggressive war against Ukraine, as well as developments in the Middle East.

The President of Romania emphasised that the current geopolitical context requires solidarity and unity from like-minded partners, based on close cooperation, founded on shared values, principles, and common interests.

At the same time, the President stressed the crucial role of advancing the convergence process with the European Union, as well as the need to accelerate the implementation of reforms by partners, both in fundamental areas and sectoral ones, which will contribute to bringing them closer to the EU internal market.

Klaus Iohannis praised the progress made by partner states in the integration process and assured that Romania will continue to support the advancement of the enlargement process, based on the merits of the candidates in their reform processes, as well as their commitment to the values of the Union.

The meeting's agenda also included discussions on security and defense cooperation, with the European Union engaged in the region through the EUFOR Althea military operation in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the EULEX Kosovo civilian mission.

Klaus Iohannis reiterated Romania's support for the security and stability of the region, materialized through the country's contribution to EUFOR Althea, which will continue in a robust manner, alongside the contribution to KFOR.

Another topic discussed at the meeting was collaboration in the fight against organized crime, with Romania supporting the strengthening of cooperation with Western Balkan partners through new joint initiatives and the implementation of existing ones.

Migration management cooperation was another subject addressed at the Summit. "As a result of this collaboration, in 2024, migration pressure on the Western Balkans route has decreased substantially, and Romania plays a very important role in cooperating with neighboring states for border surveillance and combating illegal migration," the Presidential Administration mentions.

Other topics discussed at the meeting included energy, environment, transport, telecommunications, and research.

President Iohannis welcomed the progress made by partner states in sectoral cooperation with the European Union, especially as a result of the Economic Growth Plan for the Western Balkans, and called for closer collaboration between the EU and Western Balkan countries to protect democratic processes and fight against hybrid threats and cyberattacks.

In terms of energy policies, Romania expressed support for the integration of Western Balkan countries into the European energy market and supported the need to connect transport infrastructure between the EU and the Western Balkans, as well as with Moldova and Ukraine.

At the end of the meeting, the leaders adopted a Joint Declaration, contributing to the gradual integration process of the region, which includes a robust set of deliverables and sectoral priorities regarding EU-Western Balkans cooperation. AGERPRES (RO - editor: Georgiana Tanasescu; EN - editor: Adina Panaitescu)