EU urges expedited integration, calls on Belgrade and Pristina to implement agreements

BRUSSELS - In a new draft declaration on preparations for a December 13 EU-Western Balkans summit, the EU calls for expediting the Western Balkans' accession to the bloc and urges Belgrade and Pristina to make swift progress on normalisation of relations and implement reached agreements without further delay or preconditions, including an agreement on the path to normalisation of relations and its implementation annex.

The draft, tabled by the General Secretariat of the Council of the EU to the Committee of Permanent Representatives and seen by Tanjug, calls for full alignment with the EU foreign and security policy and notes that the EU would soon examine the proposals from a Growth Plan for boosting economic integration of the Western Balkans.

It says the EU continues to fully support the efforts of EU foreign policy and security chief Josep Borrell and the special envoy for the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue and other Western Balkan regional issues, Miroslav Lajcak.

The EU says it expects "constructive engagement" by Belgrade and Pristina "in good faith and in the spirit of compromise" with a view to swift progress on normalisation of relations and notes that this is crucial for security and stability of the entire region and for ensuring the two parties can make progress on their EU paths.