The prime ministers of six Western Balkan nations formally signed a deal on visa-free travel between them, during a meeting in Berlin on Thursday.
Footage shows the six leaders, of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia, along with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
The deal, which was negotiated last month, allows travel with ID cards, ending the final ‘visa wall’ in the region between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo. Two other deals covered mutual recognition of university and professional qualifications.
During the talks in October, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said that the creation of a “common regional market” in the Western Balkans was an “important step forward in the EU accession process”.
Albania, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia all have EU candidate status. In October, the European Commission recommended granting Bosnia and Herzegovina for the same status, subject to further reforms.
The signing ceremony was part of the Berlin-process, a German-led initiative to promote co-operation in the region.
