Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg was at Göttweig Abbey near St. Pölten today to take part at the 25th Europa-Forum Wachau. The theme of this year’s event was “Heading for New Horizons.”
In a panel discussion on “Today’s Challenges for the Western Balkans”, Foreign Minister Schallenberg called for creative initiatives to bring the countries of the Western Balkans closer to the EU. He raised a number of possibilities in this regard, including opening up EU-wide schemes such as Erasmus+ or the Horizon research funding programme to the countries of the Western Balkans and instituting regular summits between the six Balkan states’ heads of state and government and EU representatives.
It is a big mistake to believe that relations with the Western Balkans are limited to EU accession negotiations,
Alexander Schallenberg pointed out.
The Foreign Minister also made clear his support for opening accession negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania as a way of reinforcing the EU’s credibility in the region.
There is no reason not to open accession negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania. They have done their job, now it’s time for the EU to deliver,
he said.
After the debate, Foreign Minister Schallenberg held talks with EU Special Representative for the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue Miroslav Lajčák, Kosovo’s Foreign Minister Donika Gërvalla-Schwarz, and Council of Europe Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić.
The Europa-Forum Wachau was established in 1995 to mark Austria’s accession to the EU. The annual event brings together leading figures from the worlds of politics, business, technology and culture with the aim of raising public awareness of Europe and European issues.
