Foreign Minister Wadephul prior to his departure for Podgorica, Rome and Ljubljana

Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul issued the following statement today (30 September 2026) prior to his departure for Podgorica, Rome and Ljubljana: EU enlargement in the Western Balkans is an acid test for Europe. It will determine what influence the EU will have in the coming decades. Only by offering the Western Balkan states a credible EU perspective and forging closer ties with them can we secure long-term geopolitical leverage. When it comes to geopolitical adversaries and rivals, what is at stake is nothing less than our core interests: our continent’s security, influence and capacity to act. We must therefore pick up the pace now in the EU accession process. As the “frontrunner” in the EU accession process, Montenegro serves as a prime example of successful progress towards the EU through the Berlin Process, the Foreign Ministers Meeting of which I am travelling to Montenegro today to attend. EU enlargement is crucial for our European security and future. As EU member states, we must honour our promises to the candidate countries. Those which make progress on reforms must also make progress in the accession process. In the face of geopolitical challenges, we mus...