“This is a working conference, and we are fully committed to ensuring that the Berlin Process Summit here in Berlin in two weeks will not just be a celebratory event marking the ten-year anniversary of this format, but a true turning point—not only for European integration but also for economic cooperation among Western Balkan countries,” stated German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock during the opening of the foreign ministers’ conference of the Berlin Process member countries.
Whether the upcoming summit will be simply a birthday celebration or a genuine milestone depends on reaching an agreement on the implementation of the Central European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA). “There is still work to be done to achieve this,” Baerbock noted, offering few details.
The primary obstacle lies in the ongoing blockade on Serbian imports into Kosovo. To address this issue, Baerbock held talks with Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Djuric and Kosovo’s President Vjosa Osmani, both of whom are also in Berlin.
Ahead of the conference, Kosovo’s Foreign Minister Donika Gervala-Schwarz told reporters that CEFTA “will not be discussed at all today (in Berlin),” and instead, the focus will be on “implementing many smaller steps that have yet to be realized.”
In recent weeks, Manuel Sarrazin, the German government’s special envoy and a colleague of Green Party Minister Baerbock, hinted that the Berlin Process could continue without Kosovo, following several unsuccessful attempts in Pristina to remove the trade blockade. However, on Tuesday, October 1, in Berlin, this topic was not brought up.
“No one is considering that, and this is the first time I’ve even heard of it,” Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg remarked to a small group of journalists before the conference when asked if Kosovo might be excluded from the Berlin Process if it does not lift the blockade that hinders CEFTA’s implementation.
Croatian Foreign Minister Gordan Grlic-Radman is among those optimistic about reaching an agreement on CEFTA. “As far as I know, all parties have agreed to the terms, and I believe a good solution has been found for all Western Balkan countries,” stated the Croatian minister.
His counterpart from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Elmedin Konakovic, acknowledged the importance of the agreement but expressed caution in his outlook. “The Western Balkans has a serious brain drain problem.
People are leaving our countries, so we must act decisively and quickly to provide opportunities for them to stay in our beautiful countries. I believe unblocking CEFTA is a crucial step in that direction. I hope the leaders of Kosovo and Serbia recognize this,” Konakovic said.
