In an intervention published by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, His Majesty’s Ambassador to Montenegro, Nerys Jones, set out the United Kingdom’s case for a more operational Berlin Process. The speech argued that the framework should be judged against a simple policy test: whether it makes the Western Balkans and Europe more secure, more connected, more prosperous and more resilient. The government’s position was organised around three linked themes. Security came first, followed by economic convergence, and then a broader political question of whether younger people in the region can see a credible future in Europe through tangible change rather than diplomatic reassurance alone.
On security, the intervention treated the Western Balkans not as a peripheral diplomatic file but as part of the wider European security settlement. The effect of that framing is to place democratic resilience, respect for international institutions and the management of bilateral disputes alongside cyber threats, irregular migration and organised crime. The FCDO text also returned to the Hillsborough Castle Declaration on Good Neighbourly Relations agreed under the UK’s 2025 chairmanship. By stressing peaceful resolution of outstanding issues, respect and accountability for victims of war crimes, and the continuation of the Northern Ireland reconciliation initiative, the speech presented political trust as a day-to-day security requirement rather than a ceremonial commitment.
The intervention then moved from principle to cross-border enforcement. It grouped cyber-attacks, disinformation, foreign interference, irregular migration and organised crime as connected pressures that do not stop at national borders and cannot be managed effectively by any one state acting alone. For officials, this is the most concrete element of the UK position. The government highlighted support for the Western Balkans Cyber Capacity Centre in Montenegro and continued work with regional partners on countering foreign information manipulation and interference. It also attached clear importance to migration management and to the Berlin Process Border Police Chiefs’ Forum, signalling a preference for practical information-sharing and border co-ordination.
On convergence, the speech applied a measurable standard. Success, it argued, should be assessed by what actually changes for citizens, particularly through jobs, investment and infrastructure links. That shifts attention away from summit language and towards delivery in areas that affect household incomes, business confidence and regional mobility. The UK welcomed the 2026 emphasis on robust and sustainable economic growth and said its export credit agency had increased its risk appetite for the region. In policy terms, that points to continued use of public finance tools to support multinational projects, with economic integration treated as part of the wider stability agenda rather than separate from it.
The intervention also set out a clear line against protectionism. At a time when competitiveness pressures are shaping European policy choices, the UK argued that the response should be greater collaboration and fewer barriers to trade and investment, both with the European Union and within the region itself. That argument was reinforced through energy and climate-related market alignment. The government welcomed UK-EU work to connect energy markets and said it had shared experience with Western Balkans partners on the design of Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanisms. For governments in the region, the point is straightforward: convergence increasingly depends on regulatory readiness as much as on political intent.
The third strand of the speech focused on whether the Berlin Process can make a European future visible to younger people. The test set by the government was deliberately practical, centring on employment, sustainable growth and public institutions that produce noticeable improvements in everyday life. The intervention also kept gender equality within the main policy discussion rather than treating it as a separate social issue. It welcomed recent commitments to deepen co-operation between Western Balkan institutions on violence against women and girls and encouraged full implementation of relevant European conventions and directives. The practical effect is clear: participation in the economy, politics and civic life depends on safety and equal access, not only on headline growth.
Taken together, the intervention described the Berlin Process as a delivery forum for security co-operation and institutional alignment, not simply a venue for ministerial statements. The UK case was that credibility now rests on evidence of progress: stronger cyber and border co-operation, fewer barriers to investment, and clearer signs that younger people and women can participate fully in public and economic life. For Western Balkan governments and European partners, the speech offers a concise test for the next phase of the process. If meetings translate into operational co-operation and visible gains for citizens, the format retains strategic value. The closing message from the government was that the United Kingdom intends to remain an active partner in that work.