Western Balkans' future is in EU - declaration

BRUSSELS - A declaration confirming a full and unequivocal commitment to an EU membership perspective for the Western Balkans was adopted at the EU-Western Balkans summit in Brussels on Wednesday evening, noting that the region's future was in the EU.

"Enlargement is a geostrategic investment in peace, security, stability and prosperity, as stated in the Granada Declaration. There is a new dynamism in the enlargement process and notable progress since our last Summit. The acceleration of the accession process, based on credible reforms by partners, fair and rigorous conditionality and the principle of own merits, is in our mutual interest," the declaration says.

It also mentions the EU-facilitated dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, noting that agreements reached in that dialogue "must be implemented, in particular the Agreement on the Path to Normalisation and its Annex," and that "the absence of a normalisation of relations between Pristina and Belgrade is holding back both partners."