Dec. 18 EU-Western Balkans Summit in Brussels to Adopt Declaration on Enlargement

Brussels (Photo: PrintScreen YouTube)

A summit of the European Union and the Western Balkans is scheduled to take place on Dec. 18 and this regular annual conference is expected to produce a declaration which the region's leaders are supposed to align with, Radio Free Europe reported on Dec. 14 after reviewing the draft declaration.

This will be the first summit presided over by Antonio Costa, the newly elected president of the European Council. The declaration will state that enlargement is a geostrategic investment in peace, safety, stability and prosperity.

The draft of the declaration that the leaders will adopt at the end of the summit says that there is a new dynamic in the enlargement process, and that the acceleration of the admission process, based on just and rigorous conditions and the principle of merit is in everyone's shared interest.

The document will praise the EU's Western Balkan partners' determination to follow and commit to fundamental European values and principles, in line with international law and a renewed dedication to putting democracy, fundamental rights and values and the rule of law first. The rule of law, freedom of expression, independent and pluralist media and a strong role of civil society are key to ensuring a functional democracy, the outline declaration states.