EU’s Western Balkans summit signals renewed interest in enlargement

EU and Western Balkans leaders gathered in Brussels Wednesday signaling new momentum on enlargement amid the changing geopolitical climate, particularly Russia’s war with Ukraine.

The leaders discussed cooperation through the EU's growth plan for the region, fighting illegal migration, corruption, and organized crime.

The meeting was chaired by António Costa, for the first time in his new capacity as the President of the European Council.

“For all of us the enlargement is a priority. We are committed to this enlargement and all of us we believe that this enlargement is the most important geopolitical investment in peace, security and prosperity,” said Costa.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas reflected this view.

"Western Balkans is an extremely important region for the EU. They belong to Europe geographically so it's very important that we also advance in our relationship,” said Kallas.

Croatia's Prime Minister Andrej Plenković, who met separately with Costa and Kallas Wednesday, underscored that Croatia continued to advocate for enlargement, which he said was the foundation for a stronger and more secure Europe.

"At this meeting, we have the opportunity to summarize the state of the enlargement process, to see how each country has progressed towards the European Union, to encourage them to implement further reforms and, of course, to point out what each of them needs to do in order to speed up that process.”

A declaration adopted at the summit reflected the changing geopolitical climate.

“The geopolitical context in Europe demands unity and solidarity from us all, in firm support of Ukraine and in defense of the international rules-based order. Standing together with the EU remains a clear sign of our Western Balkan partners' strategic orientation,” the statement reads.