EU-Western Balkans Summit

Hosted by the Slovenian Presidency of the EU Council, on October 5 and 6

Leaders from the EU Member States met Western Balkans partners (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, the Republic of North Macedonia and Kosovo) for a summit hosted by the Slovenian Presidency of the EU Council in Brdo pri Kranju, Slovenia on October 5 and 6.

The summit is part of the EU’s strategic engagement with the Western Balkans, in line with the 2019-2024 Strategic Agenda. It follows the 2018 EU-Western Balkans Summit in Sofia and the 2020 EU-Western Balkans Zagreb summit.

During the summit, EU leaders and Western Balkans partners focused on the intensification of engagement to foster the region’s socio-economic recovery and sustainable development, and building back better after the pandemic on the basis of the Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans.

They also had the opportunity to address how to further deepen political dialogue, security cooperation and strategic engagement, reaffirming the shared commitment to work towards strong, stable and united Europe. Other topics for discussion were the stability of the region, the strengthening of regional cooperation and the resolution of regional conflicts.

At the end of the meeting, EU leaders adopted the Brno Declaration, with which the Western Balkans leaders are invited to align themselves.

Oral conclusions drawn by President Charles Michel following the informal meeting of the members of the European Council, 5 October 2021 - click here.