As 20 years have passed since the Thessaloniki summit that confirmed the European perspective of the Western Balkans, Greece became the host country for another meeting.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitrotakis invited 11 leaders of the EU and the Region to an informal dinner, in the presence of the heads of the EU institutions, the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen and the President of the European Council, Charles Michel.
What was discussed on the evening of August 21, was the need to accelerate the expansion of the union, not only with the countries of the Western Balkans, but also those of the east such as Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova.
The 11 leaders present at this dinner signed a joint declaration with 8 points, where, among other things, they expressed their support for the independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine and the punishment of war crimes.
The representatives of Greece, Moldova, Romania, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Macedonia, Montenegro, Kosovo and Serbia also requested the establishment of an objective for EU enlargement which will increase the credibility of the member states and to be more vulnerable, but without overlooking the conditions of the countries.
While the president of the European Commission, Ursula Von Der Leyen, organized special meetings with some of the leaders and asked to remove the barriers between the regions.
“We must bring our friends, the aspiring members of the EU much closer to us and much faster. I am glad to be in Athens to discuss the European perspective of our neighbors and partners in the East and the Western Balkans. We will continue to break down the barriers between our regions,” Von Der Leyen said.
The surprises of this dinner were several, from the presence of the President of Ukraine, the absence of the Prime Minister of Albania Edi Rama, who did not receive an invitation to be present, to the representation of Kosovo by Albin Kurti, although Greece continues to be one of the 5 countries that do not recognize Kosovo as a state. Albania was invited at the presidential level. An invitation which the head of state Bajram Begaj refused due to other commitments.
