Southeastern Europe

Belgrade – The impact of the war in Ukraine on the Western Balkans and the region’s European perspective topped the agenda as President Borut Pahor met his Serbian counterpart Aleksandar Vučić in Belgrade on Saturday. Pahor hopes the region’s leaders will muster enough political wisdom to solve all bilateral issues through dialogue.

Ljubljana – Slovenian President Borut Pahor will host the leaders of the Brdo-Brijuni initiative of regional cooperation for a summit at Brdo estate on 12 September which is to call on the EU to step up enlargement to the Western Balkans.

Bled – President Borut Pahor reiterated his appeal for the speedy integration of Western Balkans countries in the EU as he argued in an address to the Bled Strategic Forum that they should not be allowed to fall under Russia’s sphere of influence should new bloc divisions occur.

Most Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) economies have seen faster recoveries post COVID than Western EU economies, with Poland, Hungary, Romania and the Baltics being especially strong performers.

Ljubljana – President Borut Pahor has received European Council President Charles Michel’s reply to his letter in which Pahor advocated giving Bosnia-Herzegovina EU candidate status without setting conditions. Pahor’s office said in Friday’s release that Michel underlined his firm commitment to the European path of Western Balkan countries.

The European Union's treats Western Balkans states as a wicked stepmother. While this has not significantly changed even after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, it did trigger a fundamental debate on whether the EU wants at all to admit the remaining six Western Balkan countries (Serbia, North Macedonia, Albania, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo) to full-fledged membership.

Ljubljana – President Borut Pahor and Kosovo counterpart Vjosa Osmani-Sadriu agreed in Ljubljana on Monday that relations between the two countries are excellent and expressed the wish to continue this way. Both leaders see a peaceful and secure future for the Western Balkans in the context of European and Euro-Atlantic integration.

Belgrade – President Borut Pahor has noted in an interview with Monday’s issue of the Serbian newspaper Politika that the EU not wanting or being unable to establish greater presence in the Western Balkans will have consequences. He said he will continue to work for the EU accession prospects of the Western Balkans and expressed understanding for Serbia.

Laid to Rest?

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, European Council President Charles Michel, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen arrive for a family photo following an EU-Western Balkans leaders' meeting in Brussels, Belgium, 23 June 2022. Photo: EPA-EFE/STEPHANIE LECOCQ

Ljubljana – Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani-Sadriu will be in Slovenia on Monday and Tuesday, discussing her country’s expectations about joining the EU and NATO, dialogue between Belgrade and Prishtina, and the situation in the Western Balkans.