Brussels, December 13 (Xinhua) -- The EU-Western Balkans summit was held in Brussels, the capital of Belgium, on December 13. In the Brussels Declaration issued after the meeting, EU leaders called on the Western Balkan countries to deepen reforms to "accelerate the process of accession".
The declaration reaffirmed the EU's "full and unequivocal commitment" to the accession of the Western Balkan countries, and called on them to "accelerate the accession process" on the basis of continuing to advance reforms in areas such as the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary. The declaration said that the EU is committed to accelerating and further deepening its engagement with the Western Balkan countries, including holding regular EU-Western Balkan summits, inviting the Western Balkans countries to participate in the EU's high-level events, and strengthening multilateral cooperation.
European Council President Charles Michel said before the summit on the same day that the EU hopes to make the Western Balkan countries "feel the positive impact of engagement with the EU as soon as possible" with more investment and economic development through an approach based on gradual integration.
In early November, the European Commission proposed a new growth plan to support the Western Balkan countries, including 6 billion euros in grants and loans to accelerate the region's economic integration with the EU.
The European Union currently has 27 member states. The Western Balkan countries include Serbia, Croatia, Albania, North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, etc. Among them, Croatia joined the EU in 2013, and other Western Balkan countries have started the process of joining the EU to varying degrees, but the progress has been slow. (ENDS).