The United Kingdom congratulates Montenegro on a successful Berlin Process Summit and its leadership over the past year. The Berlin Process is helping to deliver practical progress on integration, resilience and reconciliation, strengthening the Western Balkans and, in doing so, strengthening Europe as a whole. The statement does not mention specific outcomes of the summit. Thank you, Mr Chair. The UK will support the Berlin Process strongly for as long as it continues to deliver practical progress strengthening cooperation and resilience. Security in the Western Balkans and across Europe is indivisible. The threats we face in Europe do not stop at borders. Our response to malign actors seeking to exploit divisions within our societies and weaknesses in our institutions must therefore be broader than security alone. Stronger institutions build resilience. Economic integration and closer alignment with European standards create opportunity and prosperity. Serious commitment to gender equality and tackling violence against women and girls is critical: strong societies offer opportunity and security to everyone. And reconciliation is difficult but vital in building trust and social cohesion. Each of these elements is essential. None can succeed in isolation. — the full statement has further detail.
Context
The statement does not explain the nature of the ‘practical progress’ the Berlin Process is delivering. The UK’s reaffirmation of support for the Berlin Process emphasizes the interconnected nature of security and integration within the Western Balkans. The statement does not address the specific challenges faced by Montenegro as the current chair. The UK’s commitment is framed around the broader strategic imperative of strengthening Europe as a whole, explicitly linking Western Balkan stability to European security. The statement does not mention the role of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) or the ‘OSCE chairmanship’.
What to Watch
Should the visit yield no specific outcomes regarding the Berlin Process, the UK’s continued support will likely remain unchanged. If the visit does not yield a renewed commitment to the principles outlined in the statement, the UK’s stated intention to “support it strongly” remains conditional. The statement does not specify any particular actions the UK intends to take beyond maintaining its existing support for the framework.
