Johannes Hahn

The European Union's foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini and EU Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn are meeting Turkish officials for talks focusing on Turkey's long-stalled membership bid.

Hahn said on Twitter that the two would address priority issues, including rule of law and human rights, during Thursday's meetings in Ankara, Turkey's capital.

Johannes Hahn and Federica Mogherini

The leaders of the Western Balkan countries and EU commissioners, Maria Gabriel and Johannes Hahn, are in Vienna at the invitation of Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurtz, reported the Bulgarian National Television. 

This morning they discussed the European perspective of the Western Balkans, regional cooperation and bilateral contacts.

The talks will be attended by the prime ministers of Albania, Macedonia, Montenegro, the chairman of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia-Herzegovina, and the prime minister of the interim institutions in Pristina.

The Prime Minister of Serbia Ana Brnabic is also expected to attend the Vienna meeting.

Johannes Hahn, the European Union commissioner responsible for bloc enlargement negotiations and neighborhood policy, has called for an end to accession negotiations with Turkey.

Turkey's membership of the EU is not realistic in the foreseeable future, Hahn told Die Welt newspaper published Tuesday.

Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias was in Barcelona on Monday to join his European and regional counterparts at the 3rd Regional Forum of the Union for the Mediterranean.

The summit, now in its 10th year, is to focus on regional issues and prospects for cooperation.

It is to be opened by EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini and Spanish foreign minister Josep Borrell.

The European Union's foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini and European Commissioner for Enlargement Johannes Hahn on Monday expressed their support for the outcome of a referendum to change the name of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and underlined the "historic opportunity" faced by the Balkan country.

TIRANA, Aug. 27 (Xinhua) -- Prime ministers of the Balkan region gathered on Monday in the Albanian coastal city of Durres to discuss the implementation and strengthening of the Regional Economic Zone.

As Associated Press (AP) reports, a similar meeting was held in the same place last year.

Main topic of this year's meeting is "regional economic integration " which includes discussions about developing joint vision for aligning with the EU, the implementation of a regional economic zone and other issues, AP reports.

The European Union's enlargement commissioner has arrived in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) to formally announce the start of preparations for the Balkan country to open accession talks with the bloc next year.