Diplomacy
Rama at the Berlin Process summit in Budva; Merz: Don't pour gasoline on the fire of the past
Western Balkan leaders gathered in Montenegro, where the German chancellor warned against divisive rhetoric and Commissioner Kos urged Albania not to slow the pace of reforms.
By ANN Newsroom · Newsroom
October 22, 2026, 11:22 · Updated 12:25 · 2 min read
In brief
- Prime Minister Rama arrived in Budva for the annual summit, which he called a “yearly ritual.”
- Friedrich Merz urged the region's countries to avoid hate speech and the glorification of war criminals, adding that violence cannot be an option in protests.
- Commissioner Marta Kos said the coming months are decisive and that Albania must keep up its pace toward the EU.
Prime Minister Edi Rama is in Budva, Montenegro, where the Berlin Process Leaders' Summit, the Germany-led initiative to bring the Western Balkans closer to the European Union, opened Thursday. The opening session was held under the theme “A region on the move: the Western Balkans shaping Europe's common future.”
Rama shared a video of his arrival on social media, saying he was happy to take part once again in “this yearly ritual” in “an extraordinary place.” Joking, he said Budva is the only place where, every time he comes, there is always a helicopter overhead. His visit comes as student and lecturer protests in Tirana continue for a 10th day.
Merz: Change comes from within
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who delivered the opening speech, urged the region's countries not to remain hostage to the past. “Divisive rhetoric and growing polarization cannot lead us toward a more prosperous Europe,” he said, warning against hate speech and the glorification of war criminals, an allusion the media linked to Serbia.
Merz stressed that EU membership is within reach for countries that commit to reforms, spoke of 12 years of Berlin Process progress on mobility, investment and digital services, and defended the idea of a common regional market. He added that violence cannot be an option in protests, either in the EU or in the Western Balkans, and that Kosovo–Serbia normalization requires responsibility from both sides.
Kos: Albania must keep up the pace
European Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos said the coming weeks and months will be decisive for the whole region. For Albania, she said, the main challenge is keeping up the pace on the road to the European Union, while for Montenegro the decisive moment will be crossing the membership finish line. Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti is also attending the summit and said the time has come for Kosovo to open negotiations with the EU.
