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German chancellor to tour Western Balkans
By EUobserver
German chancellor Olaf Scholz told the Bundestag Thursday that he will tour the Western Balkan capitals before the next EU summit to assure them of their European future. "Honouring our commitments to them is not just a question of our credibility. Today more than ever, their integration is also in our strategic interests," Scholz said, Reuters reports. He warned that "external powers", including Russia, were seeking influence in the region.