EU supports Western Balkans, Ukraine and Moldova’s membership

The European Union (EU) reiterated its support for the EU membership perspectives of the Western Balkan countries, Ukraine and Moldova. EU Council President Charles Michel and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen attended a dinner in Athens, Greece, to mark the 20th anniversary of the EU-Western Balkans Summit and the Thessaloniki Declaration, which gave membership perspectives to countries in the region. Making a statement on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, Michel noted that he had productive meetings with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and Moldovan President Maia Sandu. Michel said, “The Western Balkans, Ukraine and Moldova have a common European heritage, history and future. Enlargement remains a top priority for the EU, a powerful tool to promote peace, security and prosperity on our continent. We must find a way forward to make this European vision a reality.” Von der Leyen also said, “We need to bring our friends who are candidates for EU membership closer to us faster. I am pleased to be in Athens to discuss the European perspective of our neighbors and partners in the Eastern and Western Balkans. We will continue to remove the barriers between our regions.” Von der Leyen held bilateral talks as part of the meeting. Stating that she met separately with Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, von der Leyen stated that they discussed reducing tensions in northern Kosovo, returning to the EU’s facilitative dialogue, and implementing the agreements on the normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia. Six countries in the Western Balkans were designated as “potential candidate” countries at the EU Leaders’ Summit held in Thessaloniki, Greece in 2003. While Bosnia-Herzegovina and Kosovo are still considered “potential candidate” countries, Montenegro, Serbia, Albania, and North Macedonia have gained “candidate country” status over the years. Ukraine and Moldova were also declared candidate countries in June 2022.