Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Greece, Bulgaria and Romania proposed to the European Commission the creation of a European Strategy for the Western Balkans, aimed at strengthening the European accession course of these countries and promoting good neighbourly relations, in line with the priorities of the European Union.
The Foreign Ministers of the three countries addressed a joint letter to the High Representative of the Union for Foreign and Security Policy, Catherine Ashton, Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy Commissioner Štefan Füle, and Regional Policy Commissioner Johannes Hahn on October 14, stressing the need for the creation of a cohesive framework for regional cooperation between the member states and the Western Balkans.
Foreign Minister Stavros Lambrinidis noted that "support for the accession prospects of the countries of the Western Balkans is a longstanding Greek position. […] The Strategy we are proposing today is a component part of Agenda 2014, our country’s initiative for the 2014 Greek EU Presidency."
