The presidency will host the first ministerial meeting on April 11-12 in Warsaw. Foreign Ministers of the Berlin Process countries and officials from the European Commission, the European Foreign Action Service and the Regional Youth Cooperation Office will discuss bilateral issues in the Western Balkans region, the situation young people, in particular their participation in the labor market. The Western Balkans Summit will take place in Poznan on July 4-5, 2019.
The first day will bring together the ministers of economy, interior and foreign affairs of the Berlin Process countries and, the second day, the heads of government and state. The summit will also bring together representatives from the European Commission, the OECD, regional organizations and international financial institutions. The political gatherings will be accompanied by the EU-Western Balkans Business Forum and the Civil Society Forum.
The Polish presidency has set four priorities for the Berlin process:
1) economy;
2) connectivity (mutual infrastructural links);
3) the civic dimension (civil society, think tanks, youth and culture);
4) security.
Poland plans to present its cross-cutting experiences in transformation, accession negotiations and absorption of EU funds. The Polish Presidency program was developed on the basis of extensive consultations with representatives of Western Balkan governments and civil society, led by the government plenipotentiary for organizing the summit, Deputy Foreign Minister Szymon Szynkowski vel Sęk.
About the Berlin Process
The Berlin Process (BP) was launched by Germany to promote regional cooperation in the Western Balkans and support the EU’s enlargement policy. Its first summit was held on August 28, 2014 in Berlin. It was followed by summits in Vienna (2015), Paris (2016), Trieste (2017) and London (2018).
The BP brings together six Western Balkan countries, candidates for EU membership (Montenegro, Serbia, North Macedonia, Albania) and potential candidates (Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo) covered by the enlargement policy. Some EU Member States are also involved in the process: Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, France, Greece, Germany, Poland, Slovenia, United Kingdom, Italy, European Commission, international financial institutions (such as the EIB and EBRD), as well as international and regional organizations. Poland joined the BP in 2018 at the invitation of Chancellor Merkel and participated in her London summit.
The economy is at the center of the Berlin process. Its objective is to promote infrastructure projects (in the energy and transport sectors) of the so-called connectivity program, such as the reconstruction of ports, the renovation of railway lines, the construction of gas interconnections.
The process also focuses on economic integration. At the Trieste Summit, Western Balkan Prime Ministers adopted a multi-year action plan for a regional economic area, which aims to gradually increase the free movement of goods, services, investments and workers. Non-governmental and youth organizations are also involved in the Berlin process. Civil society participates in meetings organized on the sidelines of summits.
MFA Press Office