The President of the European Commission (EC), Ursula von der Leyen, will next week visit the six countries of the Western Balkans, including Kosovo, to express her commitment and that of the commission for engagement in bringing the region closer to the European Union.
Von der Leyen, who was re-elected for a new five-year term in the summer, has warned that the expansion process is one of her top priorities and for this she has appointed a commissioner, who will only deal with the expansion of the bloc.
According to warnings from the EC, during the visit to the region Von der Leyen will focus mostly on the assistance that the EU is giving to the countries of the region to accelerate reforms and preparations for faster progress in the European integration process.
Von der Leyen will start the tour on Wednesday, October 23, with the first stop in Albania, where she will meet with President Bajram Begaj and Prime Minister Edi Rama. She will also participate in the inauguration of the Campus of the European College in Tirana.
On October 24, she will go to North Macedonia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. In Bosnia, she will also visit the areas affected by the floods of October 4, and will express the readiness of the EU to help in dealing with the consequences.
Von der Leyen will stay in Serbia on October 25, where she will meet with Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić.
Von der Leyen will then travel to visit Kosovo on Saturday, October 26, where she will meet with President Vjosa Osmani and Prime Minister Albin Kurti. She will end her visit to the region with a meeting with the leaders of Montenegro on Saturday in Podgorica.
Just a few days after her visit, the European Commission will approve and publish the annual enlargement package and progress reports for the countries involved in this process.
Von der Leyen will have a special focus on the EU package for growth and reforms in the Western Balkans, which provides financial aid of 6 billion euros for these countries.
Last Friday, the EU approved the reform agendas of the five Western Balkan countries, which have submitted them as a condition to benefit from the Growth Plan package.
