Kapetanović: The road to the EU passes through the neighbor's yard!

2026-04-23 11:00:00Kosova&Bota SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX
Kapetanović: The road to the EU passes through the neighbor's yard!
Amer Kapetanovic

At a time when the Western Balkans often talk about European integration, but less often about concrete results, the message from the Adria Future Summit in Tbilisi was straightforward: without real regional cooperation, the path to the EU remains only on paper.

The Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council, Amer Kapetanovic , emphasized that cooperation between the countries of the region is not a political luxury, but a condition for being taken seriously by Brussels.

According to him, in a fragmented geopolitical climate and with growing economic uncertainty, Balkan countries must choose coherence rather than isolation.

“The road to the EU runs through the neighbor's yard,” said Kapetanovic, translating integration into a practical test of cooperation rather than a contest of declarations.

The focus, he said, must shift from rhetoric to concrete implementation. From free mobility and digital integration, to the green transition and the creation of a more integrated regional market. The message was clear: investors don't follow speeches, but results.

In this context, the role of the RCC remains key to turning political agreements into concrete projects, especially through the Regional Common Market and the Berlin Process initiatives, which aim to reduce barriers and gradually approach the EU common market.

The Adria Future Summit, taking place from April 22 to 24 in Tirana, has brought together political leaders, business representatives and international organizations to discuss sustainable development, innovation and investment in the region.

Following the summit, special attention will be paid to the role of young people in regional cooperation and challenges such as disinformation and media literacy, topics that are increasingly considered part of the "infrastructure" of European integration.

The message emerging from Tivat is less diplomatic and more practical: the EU is not achieved with joint declarations, but with joint results.


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