Swiss president emphasises need for stability in the Balkans

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A stable situation in the Balkans is important for Switzerland, stated Alain Berset in the lead up to the meeting of the European Political Community (EPC) in Granada, Spain.

The 3rd meeting of the European Political Community in Granada on Thursday did not yield the potential for political mediation between the conflicting states. The Swiss president nevertheless looks back on the summit in a positive light.

“We can’t expect a format like the European Political Community (EPC) to solve any problems,” said Alain Berset on Thursday after the meeting: “We can’t expect miracles”.

Initially, on the sidelines of the summit, it was hoped that some diplomatic progress could be made between Serbia and Kosovo and between Armenia and Azerbaijan. In the end, no meeting took place between the two states in conflict.

A stable situation in the Balkans is important for Switzerland,” said Alain Berset, referring in particular to the large Serbian and Albanian diaspora in Switzerland. This is why he has held talks in recent weeks with both Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Kosovan Prime Minister Albin Kurti, he added.

An attack by Serbian paramilitaries on Kosovar police officers was at the root of the recent tensions between Serbia and Kosovo. Serbia has also deployed troops on the border with Kosovo.

Not a failure

Berset did not want to hear talk of the summit failing. “To find solutions, you need the political will to sit down and talk to each other, he said. A platform like the EPC is therefore useful”.

For Switzerland too, these meetings are important for maintaining informal contacts,” continued the Swiss president. “You never know whether a contact will suddenly turn out to be ‘very important’ in five years’ time.”

Berset met with numerous heads of state and government. Official bilateral meetings were held with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar and Montenegrin President Jakov Milatovic. The Swiss president also chaired a round table on multilateralism with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

In all, nearly 50 European leaders took part in the summit, the aim of which is to discuss issues of pan-European interest. The meeting is held every six months, alternating between EU and non-EU countries. According to Berset, organising such a meeting would also be of interest to Switzerland.

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