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| Ursula von der Leyen in Tirana, September 29, 2021 while having her speech in the Eu-Western Balkans Summit |
The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, is set to embark on a four-day visit to the Western Balkans starting on Sunday.
On that day, the head of the European bloc will meet with officials from North Macedonia, while on Monday, she will be in Pristina to meet with Kosovo's President Vjosa Osmani and Prime Minister Albin Kurti.
The following day, she will visit Podgorica and Belgrade, concluding her trip to Sarajevo on Wednesday. During her visit, she will meet with leaders from all the countries.
Her visit to these Balkan nations comes after her visit to Albania on October 15-16. There, von der Leyen participated in the Berlin Process summit, which aimed to promote the integration of Western Balkan states.
The summit called for the region to become a member of the European Union as soon as possible.
The Berlin Process is not a formal EU policy process for the Western Balkans; it is an initiative led by Germany and supported by other EU countries like Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, and later by France, Italy, Poland, and others. Its aim is to help develop the region, foster mutual cooperation, attract investments, and assist these countries in preparing for EU membership in the future.
Von der Leyen's visit highlights the EU's commitment to the Western Balkans' European perspective and emphasizes the importance of regional cooperation and EU integration for stability and economic development in the region.
During her meetings with regional leaders, various topics such as economic development, the rule of law, and good governance will be discussed, underlining the EU's support for the Western Balkan countries on their path to European integration.