Angela Merkel

Farewells

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama (not in picture) during a press conference in Tirana, Albania, 14 September 2021. The German Chancellor is in Albania to participate in the Western Balkan Summit. EPA-EFE/MALTON DIBRA

Germany's credibility was always high in the Western Balkans, much of it due to Merkel, whose Germany has been crucial to shaping the debate on EU enlargement to the region.

However, in order to maintain this credibility, the next German government will have to adapt to new challenges and circumstances pertaining to the region.

Speaking about the attention Serbia attracted during Angela Merkel's visit to Serbia, Vui said that he did not think that only her visit caused that attention, but he added that Merkel's visit was very important for us.
"It is, I can't say, the crown of my political career, but it is certainly very important for me to meet Angela Merkel," said Vucic.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is to give her annual State of the Union address to the European Parliament on Wednesday in the French city of Strasbourg. Likely talking points include her proposals to help tackle the climate crisis - set out in July - and frozen efforts to reform the bloc's migration system could also feature in her speech, dpa reported.

This happened during a joint press conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Tirana.
"Shame on Albanian PM @ediramaal, who deliberately ignored the questions of Kosovo journalists. The @EFJEUROPE condemns this outrageous segregation", EFJ's Secretary General Ricardo Gutirrez said on Twitter.

Angela Merkel visited the Albanian capital Tirana on Tuesday, the last stop on a brief farewell Balkan tour which saw the German chancellor encourage the countries in the region to push ahead with reforms to improve their chances of joining the European Union.

It's in the European Union's strategic interests to integrate the Balkan states into the bloc, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Monday as she urged Serbia and other countries in the region to do more on democratic reforms in order to join, AP reported.

After leaving Belgrade, she arrived in Tirana, where she was welcomed by the Prime Minister of that country, Edi Rama.
Media in the region remind what Merkel said when she arrived in the Western Balkans in 2015.

Some of them have already resonated, such as those about the rule of law, the solution of the Kosovo knot, the dangers lurking from "other parts of the world", and they also touched on the excavation of lithium, Blic writes.

Vui has repeatedly expressed his gratitude to Merkel for everything she did for Serbia while she was the Chancellor of Germany.
According to Vui, Merkel has done a lot for Serbia, especially when it comes to German investments in the country. Vui repeated the same message in tonight's address.