David McAllister: The accession process is a marathon, not a sprint!

David McAllister, Chair of the European Parliament Foreign Affairs Committee, tweeted on Tuesday that the European Union-Western Balkan summit is about reinforcing trust among Western Balkan partners and the EU. The Summit is due in Slovenia, the EU presiding country, on October 6. He added that “the accession process is a marathon, not a sprint. The individual countries have to be judged on their own merits. EU needs to deliver on our enlargement promises. But, we cannot compromise on values and rights. Our Western Balkan partners need to deliver on the necessary reforms.” He pointed out that „in many Western Balkan countries, young people are the greatest value.“ „The economic and investment plan and the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans are good examples of the EU’s renewed commitment to sustainable development in the region,“ he said.

The Summit will gather the heads of states and prime ministers of the EU member states and their counterparts from the region. Charles Michel, President of the European Council, will preside over the gathering together with the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.