Prince Metternich, the UK, Austria and the Western Balkans

Guest blog by Jeremy Wilmshurst, Second Secretary (Political)

There’s a saying in Vienna, ascribed to 19^th Century Austrian statesman Prince Metternich, that ‘the Balkans begins on Rennweg’. The latter is the road running south-east out of Vienna in the direction of Belgrade and beyond. Close to the top of Rennweg stands the British Embassy (reached, pleasingly, via a short detour along Metternichgasse).

The Prince’s saying is a fitting one, given that our embassy in Vienna has long cooperated with the Austrian government on issues related to the Western Balkans. This year the focus of our cooperation is the UK’s chairmanship of the Berlin Process, an initiative begun by Chancellor Merkel in 2014.

It's one month until the Western Balkans Summit, which will bring together the leaders of the Western Balkans countries and like-minded European partners to:
– Strengthen security co-operation
– Increase economic stability
– Encourage political co-operation#WBSummitLondon pic.twitter.com/F6EfcgcQJN

— Foreign Office ?? (@foreignoffice) June 9, 2018

The Process brings together the leaders of Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, and Serbia with the UK, Austria, Croatia, France, Germany, Italy, Slovenia, Poland and Bulgaria. Its aim is to promote regional cooperation, and to support the EU enlargement aspirations of the Western Balkans region. Although the UK is leaving the EU, we see the enlargement process as a positive tool in the region’s reform path. When accession requirements have been met, it will be for the country in question and the EU to decide on membership.

As part of the Berlin Process, a few weeks ago we hosted a group of civil society representatives from across the region at the British Ambassador’s Residence. They were joined by representatives from the UK’s Foreign & Commonwealth Office and the Austrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. They came to agree recommendations for the ministerial meetings of the Berlin Process, and in a series of lively discussions covered gender equality, regional economies, political & legacy issues, and security. The process isn’t about governments alone, but about energising and engaging with every part of society; that is why the role of civil society is so important.

“We’ve got lots of good ideas bubbling up and fizzing around”@AndrewPageFCO explains this week’s pre-#WBSummitLondon session here in Vienna, where youth and civil society representatives prepared for the forthcoming #WesternBalkans summit #WB6 pic.twitter.com/AUBQg6gTJA

— UK in Austria (@UKinAustria) April 27, 2018

The April meeting isn’t the end of the Embassy’s involvement in this year’s process. This week, with the Austrian government, we will be co-hosting a meeting of economy ministers in the run-up to the summit meeting in London on July 10^th.

The UK’s role in hosting this year’s summit is only one part of our ongoing engagement with the Western Balkans. Our commitment to that region and to wider European Security – in partnership with Austria and other partners – is longstanding. It will continue even as the UK’s institutional relationship with the EU changes, and the British Embassy sitting on Rennweg will keep playing its role in that.