The goal of the Western Balkans summit in Berlin is get the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue moving, European Commissioner Johannes Hahn told the German DPA news agency.

The April 29 summit of top Serbia and Kosovo officials has been called at the initiative of German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron. Hahn welcomed the initiative and the two countries’ renewed interest in the Western Balkans but warned that a solution cannot be imposed from outside. “It’s clear that a sustainable solution has to come from the two countries concerned and they have to fully implement a possible agreement and present it to their citizens. A solution imposed from outside cannot work,” he said.

The commissioner said that the integration of the Western Balkans into the EU is a political priority for the entire Union. “This also has to be the signal sent from this meeting in Berlin. Resolving the Kosovo issue and the stability and progress of the other countries in the region can only be achieved if we act in unison and credibly link the Western Balkans to the EU,” Hahn said.