German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul (CDU) has called for renewed momentum in the European Union’s enlargement, with a particular focus on the Western Balkans.
Speaking during his inaugural visit to Croatia, Wadephul stressed that countries such as Montenegro, Serbia, Albania, North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Kosovo must be more strongly supported on their path toward EU integration.
In Zagreb, Wadephul met with Croatian counterpart Gordan Grlić Radman, urging Croatia to take an active role as a ‘bridge-builder’ in the process.
He noted that Croatia’s own accession experience positions it well to guide and support its regional neighbors.
Croatian Foreign Minister Grlić Radman emphasized that the Western Balkans must not be allowed to slip into a geostrategic vacuum and that the region belongs to Europe both geopolitically and strategically.
Currently, Montenegro is the most advanced in accession talks, though no target date for membership has been set.
The EU has been negotiating with Montenegro since 2012 and with Serbia since 2014, while talks with Albania and North Macedonia began in 2022.
Bosnia and Herzegovina remains a candidate country but has yet to open negotiations, and Kosovo is considered a potential candidate without official status.
