EU and Western Balkans partners meet to prepare their summit in Zagreb

On 16 February, representatives from six Western Balkans countries joined Presidents Michel and von der Leyen, Croatian Prime Minister Plenković and High Representative Borrell for a first informal meeting in Brussels to prepare the EU-Western Balkans summit in Zagreb in May 2020.

At the beginning of the dinner, President Michel stressed that it was an opportunity to reconfirm the European perspective for the Western Balkans partners.

"We must deepen our strategic cooperation on issues like climate change, multilateralism and foreign policy."

Charles Michel, President of the European Council

• Remarks by President Charles Michel before the EU-Western Balkans informal meeting

Representatives of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo*, Montenegro, the Republic of North Macedonia, and Serbia came to Brussels to attend the International donors' conference for Albania, which takes place on 17 February at the European Commission. The aim of the conference is to help support reconstruction efforts in Albania after the earthquake that struck the country last November.

• International donors conference for Albania (European Commission)

The preparatory informal meeting follows a first visit by President Michel to Albania and the Republic of North Macedonia, and the publication of a Commission proposal for a new methodology regarding the enlargement process.

• Remarks by President Charles Michel after his meeting with Prime Minister of Albania Edi Rama
• Remarks by President Charles Michel after his meeting with President of the Republic of North Macedonia Stevo Pendarovski
• European Commission's proposal to drive forward the EU accession process (European Commission)
• EU enlargement (background information)

Background

The previous EU-Western Balkans summit took place on 17 May 2018 in Sofia, Bulgaria. It brought together the heads of state or government from EU member states and leaders from the six Western Balkans partners. EU leaders agreed on the Sofia declaration, with which the Western Balkans partners have aligned themselves. They also adopted the Sofia priority agenda, as an annex to the declaration and outlined new measures for enhanced cooperation with the region.

• EU-Western Balkans summit in Sofia, 17/05/2018

* This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244/1999 and the ICJ opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence.