Poland in Sweden

Chargé d’affaires a.i. of the Republic of Poland in Sweden, Karolina Ostrzyniewska, emphasised the geostrategic importance of the Western Balkans and stated that the region’s stability remains crucial for the future of the European Union. She highlighted that during the Polish EU Presidency, WB countries were consistently included in EU-level discussions — for instance, through informal GAC and FAC meetings — and that one of the Presidency’s priorities was strengthening cooperation with the region in the fields of security and defense, particularly in countering hybrid threats, disinformation, and cyberattacks. Ostrzyniewska also congratulated Albania on opening two key negotiation clusters and praised both Albania and North Macedonia for signing security and defense partnership agreements with the EU.

Christian Danielsson noted that the current geopolitical situation presents a "window of opportunity" for the EU enlargement process, which should be fully utilised. At the same time, he stressed the importance of deepening reforms in candidate countries, especially in the areas of rule of law, anti-corruption efforts, and media freedom.

Ambassadors from the Western Balkan countries presented updates on ongoing reforms and key initiatives supporting their European integration. The meeting reaffirmed a shared belief in the importance of continuing the EU enlargement process as an investment in peace, stability, and security on the continent.

Thank you to all participants for fruitful and inspiring discussions.