European leaders and senior representatives of international institutions will gather in Montenegro on October 22 for the Berlin Process summit. Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti is also expected to attend, alongside other regional leaders. Kosovo hopes the summit will help advance stalled regional agreements and strengthen economic and political cooperation among Western Balkan countries.

Vetëvendosje Movement MP Liza Gashi told KosovaPress that the Berlin Process is important for Kosovo because it aims to build good neighborly relations and address concrete challenges in the region.

She added that Kosovo has proceeded with all Berlin Process agreements and also highlighted the approval of three CEFTA protocols related to trade facilitation and the expansion of trade in services.

“Kosovo has moved forward with the five Berlin Process agreements, but has also approved the three CEFTA protocols, including those on free trade and trade in services. In this regard, Kosovo has proceeded with all Berlin Process agreements, and it will also move forward with some of the decisions that have been suspended within CEFTA. This process is always welcome in Kosovo, as we aim to build good neighborly relations through the Berlin Process and address the real challenges we face on the ground. The new Berlin Process summit should, first and foremost, advance all agreements blocked by other countries, but also contribute to potential new agreements that could benefit the region,” she said.

However, the governing party MP stressed that the implementation of regional agreements continues to face obstacles, citing what she described as Serbia’s failure to implement certain agreements and the lack of progress on the recognition of identity cards and freedom of movement between Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Meanwhile, the German Embassy in Kosovo emphasized the importance of the Berlin Process in strengthening regional cooperation and supporting the European integration of the six Western Balkan countries in a response to KosovaPress.

According to the embassy, Germany aims to bring all regional partners closer to European Union membership through stronger regional ties, greater freedom of movement, and closer practical cooperation.

KosovaPress also asked the Kosovo government whether any new agreements were expected to be reached at tomorrow’s summit, but received no response.

The summit comes at a time when the implementation of existing agreements, freedom of movement, and deeper economic cooperation remain among the key issues on the Western Balkans’ path toward European integration.

Last year, the Berlin Process summit was held in London under the United Kingdom’s chairmanship. According to the summit’s official conclusions, the focus was on economic and regional integration, security, good neighborly relations, and closer ties with the EU.

The Berlin Process was launched by Germany in 2014 as an initiative to strengthen cooperation among the six Western Balkan countries: Kosovo, Albania, Serbia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. The first summit was held in Berlin on August 28, 2014.