EU-Western Balkans Summit Commends Western Balkans' SALW Control Roadmap

The EU-Western Balkans Summit took place on Tuesday, 6 December in Tirana, Albania and it was ended with issuing the Tirana declaration which, among others, commends the Western Balkans' SALW Control Roadmap and its results, underlining the EU’s readiness to continue supporting the Western Balkans in this field.

“The EU is fully committed to continue the work on preventing illicit trade and trafficking in small arms and light weapons and their ammunition, commends the Western Balkans' dedicated roadmap on this and will continue to support the Western Balkans in this field,” the declaration reads.

“The roadmap is an internationally recognised example of good practice of regional cooperation to strengthen small arms control,” it was highlighted.

As the first-ever summit between EU and Western Balkans leaders to take place in the Western Balkans region, the event gathered all the EU member states, and Western Balkans partners. It was an opportunity to reconfirm the key importance of the strategic partnership between the EU and the Western Balkans.

Welcoming the Western Balkans' alignment with the points outlined in the declaration, the event included discussion topics such as tackling the consequences of the Russian aggression against Ukraine together, intensifying political and policy engagement, reinforcing security, and building resilience against foreign interference, addressing the challenges posed by migration, the fight against terrorism and organised crime.

Photo: European Union, 2022