Beyond Brexit: the UK and the Balkans inquiry

Published 23 March 2018.

The government welcomes the Committee's report and states that the UK's commitment to the Western Balkans "will endure beyond our departure from the EU", citing the July 2018 Western Balkans Summit in London as a visible sign of that engagement.

• On regional stability, the government "agrees with the Committee" that progress "cannot be taken for granted" and that continued engagement is needed. It says the Summit will focus on security cooperation, youth unemployment and skills, and legacy issues such as missing persons.
• On NATO, it agrees that accession for Bosnia and Herzegovina and Macedonia "would be a welcome step" if they meet the requirements. It will "continue to support efforts by Athens and Skopje to resolve the Name Issue".
• On funding, it says it spends over £27 million in technical assistance, rising to "almost £40 million" from 2018/19. It adds that after EU exit it "will have more say" over how UK funds previously channelled through EU programmes are targeted.
• The government says it "remains concerned about increased Russian interference", citing the Montenegro attempted coup plot, and states that it "cannot rule out further Russian interference".

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