Athens, April 22, 2026
We, the Participants in the Delphi Forum, Mr Georgios Gerapetritis, Mr Nemanja Starović, Mr Glauk Konjufca, Mr Ferit Hoxha, Mr Zoran Dimitrovski, Mr Ivan Ivanišević and Mr Dragan Vukovic,
Having met in Delphi today and,
Recalling the Thessaloniki Agenda, as adopted by the Council and endorsed by the Thessaloniki European Council of 19 and 20 June 2003, that laid the foundation for the European perspective of the Western Balkans;
Reaffirming our shared commitment to the EU values of respect for human rights and human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law, respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities;
Stressing our consistent adherence to the Principles of the Charter of the United Nations, in particular the implementation of international binding agreements in good faith, respect of sovereignty, territorial integrity, the peaceful resolution of conflicts, and regional cooperation as indispensable principles of international law;
Reiterating that the future of the Western Balkans lies within the European Union;
Have agreed the following:
We recognize that twenty-three years after the Thessaloniki Agenda, all Western Balkan partners remain firmly on an irreversible path towards EU accession.
We strongly reaffirm our political commitment to the EU accession process recognizing its profound transformative impact on the societies and economies of the Western Balkans.
We underline the importance of integrating the Western Balkans into the EU as a strategic imperative for European security which aims to enhance resilience, autonomy, and readiness in the region and across Europe.
We welcome in that vein the EU’s renewed focus on the enlargement process and on the EU integration of the Western Balkans, as a geostrategic investment in peace, security, stability and prosperity in our region and our continent.
We stress the need for effective integration and tangible EU support to the Western Balkan partners in combatting hybrid threats and disinformation campaigns.
We call therefore for a renewed commitment to the accession process for the Western Balkans, based on credible reforms, fair and rigorous conditionality and a merit-based approach, ensuring that each partner advances in line with its own merits in fulfilling the accession criteria.
We highlight the importance of alignment with the EU acquis including with the Common Foreign and Security Policy of the European Union.
We reiterate our determination to the effective implementation of the necessary reforms, with a particular focus on the fundamentals.
We reiterate our commitment to inclusive regional cooperation, reconciliation and good neighbourly relations as prerequisites for EU accession as well as key elements to building a common European future.
We welcome the implementation of gradual integration between the EU and the region and call for further inclusion of the region in relevant EU policies and programmes that could bring tangible benefits for the citizens of Western Balkans, including further integration to the EU Single Market, in line with EU acquis alignment.
We stress the importance of enabling timely advancement of those Western Balkans partners that have achieved a high level of preparedness, inter alia by initiating the preparation of accession treaties for those in the final stage of negotiations, in order to preserve the credibility of the enlargement process.
We emphasize our commitment to the effective implementation of the Growth Plan for the Western Balkans which should contribute to faster integration of the region with the EU internal market and should improve convergence between the economies.
We highlight the importance of effective cooperation in the field of migration, the fight against corruption and all forms of organized crime.
We call for the effective integration of the region into EU interconnectivity planning, with emphasis on energy, transport and digital interconnectivity.
We highlight the need for transport integration in the Western Balkans, including the extension of the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) and the promotion of initiatives such as the Green Lanes, to connect the region with crucial transport corridors and supply chains, such as IMEC, the Western Balkans-Eastern Mediterranean Transport Corridor, Corridor VIII along the East-West axis, Corridor X and the Black Sea-Aegean Sea Vertical Corridor.
We call for further trade facilitation between EU and Western Balkans and support efforts to enhance the flow of goods across EU borders.
In light of the upcoming Hellenic Presidency of the Council of the European Union in the second half of 2027, we pledge to intensify our efforts towards regional and European integration, with a view to delivering concrete benefits to citizens and businesses across the region of the Western Balkans.
We express our determination, in the spirit and goals of the Thessaloniki Agenda, to actively advance the accession path of all Western Balkans partners and achieve tangible results during the Hellenic Presidency of the Council of the EU. In the months leading up to the Hellenic Presidency our common aim is to set new cornerstones towards the rapprochement and European integration of the Western Balkans.
