Krisztina Dóra Varju, Ministerial Commissioner responsible for the implementation of Hungary’s V4 Presidency paid an official visit to Tirana between 14-16 September 2017. The Ministerial Commissioner was received by Albanian Deputy Foreign Minister Odeta Barbullushi, with whom she consulted on the preparations for the summit of the V4+Western Balkans Foreign Ministers to be held in October 2017 in Budapest, the support provided by the V4 for the Western Balkans, and the state of the excellent Hungarian-Albanian relations.
On behalf of the Hungarian V4 Presidency, the Ministerial Commissioner paid a visit to the headquarters of the Western Balkans Fund established with the assistance of the V4 countries where the directors of the Western Balkans Fund and the International Visegrád Fund signed a cooperation agreement in her presence.
The Hungarian Presidency of the Visegrád Group particularly supports the Euro-Atlantic integration aspirations of the Western Balkans and the high-level political dialogue conducted with the Western Balkans partners, thereby contributing to the region’s stability which is a strategic interest for Hungary. The annual meeting of the V4 and Western Balkans Foreign Ministers will be held in October in Budapest. At these meetings, the parties usually review the progress of the enlargement of the EU. The event also provides an opportunity for Hungary and the Visegrád countries which also support the enlargement of the EU to draw the attention of the European institutions and Member States to the importance of this political area.
The Ministerial Commissioner’s visit was further prompted by the fact that the Tirana-based Western Balkans Fund, which was established by the Governments of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia with the support of the V4 based on the model of the International Visegrád Fund which has operated successfully for 17 years, started its operation officially. Beata Jaczewska and Gjergj Murra, the Managing Directors of the International Visegrád Fund and the Western Balkans Fund, respectively, signed a cooperation agreement between the two institutions on 16 September 2017 in Tirana. In addition to the Ambassadors of the V4 and Western Balkans countries accredited to Tirana and the local EU delegation, the signing ceremony was also attended by representatives of the Albanian Foreign Ministry, local non-governmental organisations and the Albanian press.
In her welcome speech delivered at the event, Ms Varju highlighted that the V4 countries will pay particular attention to providing support for the Western Balkans countries, and the promotion of regional cooperation and measures serving to facilitate their integration, also in the future. Hungary has therefore undertaken a significant role in the establishment of the Western Balkans Fund right from the beginning. With the establishment of the Fund, the countries of the Western Balkans further testify to the fact that they are ready to take action for regional cooperation, the adoption of a united stance, and the promotion of good neighbourly relations and peace. Hungary supports these efforts, in harmony with the objectives of its V4 Presidency.
The Western Balkans Fund will support social projects to be implemented with the participation of multiple countries, with a view to strengthening regional cooperation and the establishment of relations between the region’s populations and organisations. The feasibility of the establishment of such an institution was first investigated by Hungarian experts, and the V4 countries jointly supported the project. The agreement on the establishment of the Fund was signed in 2015 in the presence of the V4 Foreign Ministers. Following the ratification procedure, the documents necessary for the operation of the Fund were approved by the Western Balkans Foreign Ministers at the beginning of September.