Thank you, Chancellor Scholz, Madam President, Excellencies, friends.
Russia’s brutal war in Ukraine shows that we cannot take peace and security in Europe for granted and so we must guard against all those who seek to destabilise the Western Balkans.
Our work to achieve common goals and diffuse tensions is even more important than it’s already been in the 10 year history of this process.
And indeed, the challenging outlook requires a strong and connected Europe, and that is why, under its new government, the United Kingdom is resetting our relations with friends across the continent, in this room and many more today at the Foreign Affairs Committee in Luxembourg, which my colleague, Foreign Secretary David Lammy is attending today.
Indeed, the Western Balkans is one of the areas I believe that we, the United Kingdom, the European Union, all of whom in this room can work together much more closely, because our shared goals are basics we all need for a good life. Security. Prosperity. Equality.
Buoyant business, solid infrastructure and strong institutions are crucial for driving regional growth.
The United Kingdom is playing, and will continue to play its full part in supporting the European alignment of the region.
We are very supportive of the Common Regional Market, and we are delighted to see progress on the Central Europe Free Trade Agreement.
Over the life of this process, the United Kingdom’s trade with Western Balkans has quadrupled to over £4 billion.
Through the Global Clean Power Alliance, we will roll out renewables faster and work with partners around this table on energy security and green transition.
And through UK export finance, new infrastructure projects to help growth take off, working alongside partners here.
But there is much more we can do.
We must create more jobs for young people, curbing the ‘brain drain’ that damages a country’s economy.
We must continue to make progress on the rights of women and girls as part of wider improvements on rights governance and ensuring pluralist democratic societies.
Not just because that is the right thing to do, but because it is the cornerstone of our efforts to create a more peaceful, stable, prosperous region.
So, I hope we will build on the success of the Gender Equality Forum and make that an annual feature.
Chancellor Scholz – the drumbeat from the ministerial meetings has heightened expectations for the Berlin Process.
And we can now make the most of the momentum and make amazing things happen. I look forward to our work together.
Thank you.
