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Today, European Union leaders will meet with Western Balkan leaders, a meeting that will take place for the 4th consecutive year in Brussels. The summit is organized on the eve of the last meeting of the European Council for this year. Prime Minister Edi Rama has been heading to Brussels since yesterday afternoon.
At the joint table, Albania and Montenegro will sit as the vanguard of membership negotiations compared to other Western Balkan countries and with predetermined membership deadlines, respectively in 2028 and 2029. Prime Minister Rama and Montenegrin counterpart Spajic have managed to engage in gradual integration by benefiting from pre-accession funds and other facilities.
The summit is expected to focus on the latest findings of the 2025 Enlargement Package, with Montenegro and Albania leading the way in terms of progress towards membership. The €6 billion Western Balkans Growth Plan will also take centre stage, widely seen in Brussels as one of the most effective tools for bringing the region closer to the EU, both economically and in terms of reforms.
This summit will also lend a hand to other Western Balkan countries, where part of the discussions is expected to include the blocking of negotiations for North Macedonia due to a bilateral dispute with Bulgaria.
Also expected to be discussed are the political situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the democratic backsliding in Serbia, and Kosovo, which will hold general elections twice this year.
This summit was held in Tirana in 2022. EU and Western Balkans leaders will meet again next year on June 1 at the EU-Western Balkans 2026 summit, which will be held for the second time in Montenegro.
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