Tirana, 16 October, 2023
Under the presidency of Albania as host, in joint organization with the German government, on 16 October, 2023, the Berlin Process Summit was held in Tirana. The participants were the leaders of six countries of the Western Balkans: the Republic of Kosovo, the Republic of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia, with the participation of EU member states, the United Kingdom, EU institutions of international financial institutions and regional organizations. The Republic of Kosovo was represented by Prime Minister Albin Kurti.
The six countries of the Western Balkans signed an agreement and pledged six joint declarations which aim to deepen the Common Regional Market.
The agreement signed for the Recognition of Professional Qualifications will also extend to four new professions: nurses, midwives, pharmacists, and veterinary surgeons. This agreement enables citizens in the host country to exercise the same profession for which they are qualified in home country and to do so under no less favorable conditions than the citizens of the host country.
Through the Joint Declarations, the states of the Western Balkans pledged to:
Trade and Transport Facilitation between BP6 and the EU Single Market. This will be done through the financing mechanism of the World Bank TTFP-2, which aims to simplify trade procedures between the region and the EU, improve regional transport logistics, as well as technical assistance in the implementation of reforms.
The development of the Initiative for WiFi for the Western Balkans, which aims to improve the digital infrastructure and start a pilot project for the installation of WiFi service in public spaces in several municipalities.
Membership in the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA) for facilitating, securing and strengthening financial transfers between the countries of the region and the EU. Through full membership in SEPA, the opening of the financial market will be ensured, which will reduce transfer costs and improve services, which will significantly facilitate the transfer of remittances for our expatriates.
The creation of a Convergence Observatory in the Western Balkans, which will identify and measure the key elements for the convergence of our region with the EU, as well as provide proposals for the acceleration of this process.
Prevention of Plastic Pollution, including waste, through which the six countries of the Western Balkans will take steps to effectively prevent plastic pollution on land and sea.
With the Joint Declaration “Regional Partnership for Climate” between the six states and the Federal Republic of Germany, the leaders pledged to increase cooperation in the field of energy and climate change. The German Federal Government is pledging support of up to $1 billion by 2030, as well as $500 million in the short term, through the German Development Bank (KfW) for the green energy sector and for social and environmental transformation.
The Republic of Kosovo is a strong supporter of the Berlin Process and is committed to deepening cooperation within the Common Regional Market based on the rules, values and standards of the European Union.
Last modified: October 19, 2023