The leaders of the EU and Western Balkan countries will meet in Brussels on November 25 to highlight the strategic importance of connectivity, the European Council announced today.
EU will be represented at the summit by European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
“The future of the Western Balkans is in the European Union. Its accession is our priority, our shared ambition, and a crucial geopolitical investment in these turbulent times. The EU is and will remain the region’s most reliable partner,” Costa said in a statement.
The summit will be an opportunity to reaffirm the EU’s commitment to the membership perspective of Western Balkan countries, to encourage them to accelerate key reforms, and to fulfill the obligations necessary for progress on the path to the EU.
Leaders will assess progress in the gradual integration of the Western Balkans into the EU, particularly through the Growth Plan for the Western Balkans, and discuss how to further advance it.
They will also consider common challenges and ways to strengthen security and resilience in increasingly complex geopolitical circumstances.
The summit is part of the European Council’s Strategic Agenda for 2012-2029, the statement recalls.
Regular EU-Western Balkans summits have been held since 2018, with the most recent one in Tivat in June this year.
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