The firm commitment of Athens to the completion of the European Path of the European Geographical countries and to the consolidation of security in the region was conveyed by Giorgos Gerapetritis.

Message in favour of strengthening regional cooperation, stability and accelerating the European perspective of the Western Balkans, sent from Sofia Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis, in the context of his participation in the Summit and Foreign Ministers’ Meeting of the Southeast European Cooperation Process (SEECP).

The head of Greek diplomacy described the conference as “very critical”, noting that it concerns all the countries of Southeastern Europe, a region that, he said, plays a key role for the stability and prosperity not only of Europe but also of the wider international environment.

Mr. Gerapetritis stressed that the Summit was taking place in a particularly complex international context, with armed conflicts ongoing in the wider region and with increased factors of instability and vulnerability. In such an environment, he said, the existence of cooperation mechanisms among the states of the region becomes all the more necessary in order to foster a climate of mutual trust, reduce tensions and enhance regional cohesion.

“It is extremely important that the countries in our region have the opportunity to cooperate, to have an open dialogue and a spirit of cooperation, so that tensions are reduced and a genuine spirit of cooperation is created,”he said.

According to the Foreign Affairs Minister, the discussions focused on issues related to connectivity of the states in the region, energy cooperation, as well as the pillars of security and cooperation. Particular emphasis was placed, he said, on issues of common defence, but also on the strategic importance of the European perspective of the Western Balkan countries.

Mr Gerapetritis highlighted the active role of Greece in the effort to accelerate the accession processes of the countries of the region towards the European Union.</He noted that Athens has taken a specific initiative to accelerate the European course of the Western Balkans, underlining that this is a strategy based on the Tessaloniki Declaration and the long-standing Greek policy in favour of the European integration of the region.

“Greece has taken an initiative to speed up the procedures for the accession of the Western Balkan countries to the European Union. It is an initiative that started in Thessaloniki and continues today,”he said.

At the same time, he stressed that the European perspective of the countries of the region is a one-way street, noting that the path towards the European family should continue consistently and continuously. In this context, he stressed that Greece seeks to play a leading role in the coming years, also taking advantage of the Greek Presidency of the European Union in the second half of 2027.

As he said, the Greek side will work to ensure that during the Presidency there are tangible results and substantial progress in the accession processes of the Western Balkans countries, reaffirming Athens’ commitment to act as a force for accelerating European integration in the region.

Closing his statement, the Foreign Minister referred to the completion of three decades since the first conference that launched the framework for cooperation in Southeastern Europe. He stressed that thirty years later, the challenges facing the region make close cooperation between states even more necessary in order to create conditions of peace, security and prosperity.

“Today, more than ever, the countries of our region should be close, cooperate and shape the conditions of peace and prosperity“, he said from Sofia.