Western Balkan, EU Leaders to Meet in Brussels

Brussels (Photo: PrintScreen YouTube)

This year’s annual European Union-Western Balkan Summit will take place in Brussels on Dec. 18 and will be focusing on foreign and security policy, migrations and the region’s further Euro-integrations via the 2023 Growth Plan.

According to the European Council, the gathering is an opportunity to maintain “the new momentum” in the strategic partnership between the EU and Western Balkans. Talks will involve deepening said partnership and moving toward a joint future within the Union, the Council said.

The meeting’s main topics will be strengthening the region’s Euro-integrations through the Growth Plan for the Western Balkans, deepening the EU’s political engagement in the region across several fields – including foreign and security policy – as well as enhancing local economies and mitigating the effects of the war in Ukraine.

Also on the agenda are managing migrations and fighting corruption and organized crime.

The gathering will be chaired, for the first time, by the European Council’s newly-elected president, Antonio Costa.

Regular yearly summits between representatives of the EU and top Western Balkan officials have been taking place since 2018.