Enlargement of the European Union

Ohrid – President Borut Pahor made a case for the EU’s rapid enlargement to Western Balkans as he addressed the Prespa Forum Dialogue on Friday, arguing that this was in the interest of the EU and would strengthen the bloc as well as the region.

The president said continued enlargement was instrumental to the stability and prosperity of Western Balkans.

Brdo pri Kranju – EU enlargement is one of Slovenian EU presidency priorities and a response to strategic challenges, Prime Minister Janez Janša told Thursday’s press conference after a meeting between the government and the EU Commission delegation marking the start of the presidency stint. Slovenia will host an EU-Western Balkans summit in October.

Shared Interests

European Union flags. Photo: EPA-EFE

In an exclusive opinion piece for Balkan Insight, the foreign ministers of the EU's 'Trio Presidency' - Germany, Portugal and Slovenia - reaffirm the EU's commitment to enlargement and opening accession negotiations with Albania and North Macedonia.

Zdravko Krivokapic said that he had received clear assurances from all participants in yesterday's Intergovernmental Conference that they would support Montenegro so that it could meet the provisional criteria for Chapters 23 and 24 and become the first member of the European family to cherish true values of justice, stability, peace and democracy, Podgorica media report.

"The goal that needs to be achieved is to speed up the negotiations for Serbia's accession. We really claim with full conviction that there is a necessity to work in that direction," Di Maio said after the meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Serbia, Nikola Selakovic.

Brussels – European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen described today’s meeting with President Borut Pahor ahead of Slovenia’s presidency of the Council of the EU as very constructive, saying she appreciated “the enormous energy with which the presidency will work on the resilience and recovery of the European Union after this heavy pandemic”.

The foreign ministers of Austria, the Czech Republic and Slovenia voiced unanimous support on Saturday for North Macedonia and Albania to start EU membership talks, arguing that bilateral issues should not block the EU's enlargement into the Western Balkans.

Tirana – The foreign ministers of Slovenia, Austria and the Czech Republic, Anže Logar, Alexander Schallenberg and Jakub Kulhanek, stressed the role of EU enlargement to the Western Balkans as they met senior Albanian officials in Tirana on Sunday, a day after visiting neighbouring North Macedonia.

Skopje – Foreign minister of Slovenia, Austria and the Czech Republic, Anže Logar, Alexander Schallenberg and Jakub Kulhanek, expressed support to North Macedonia’s EU path at a working visit to the country on Saturday. Macedonian FM Bujar Osmani thanked for their support and called for EU accession talks to start as soon as possible.

Brdo pri Kranju – President Borut Pahor will host on Monday a summit of the Brdo-Brijuni Process featuring his counterparts from Croatia, Albania, Montenegro, Kosovo, North Macedonia and Serbia and the presiding trio of Bosnia-Herzegovina. The meeting, marking a decade of the initiative, is designed to reaffirm committent to EU enlargement.