On Monday, Skopje is to host the next Brdo-Brijuni summit, where participating nations, as per North Macedonia’s President Stevo Pendarovski, will “reaffirm their commitment to enhancing regional cooperation, resolving outstanding issues, and advancing towards European Union integration”.

The summit will see the presence of several heads of state, including Kosovo’s President Vjosa Osmani, Albania’s Bajram Begaj, Serbia’s Aleksandar Vučić, Slovenia’s Nataša Pirc Musar, Croatia’s Zoran Milanović, as well as members of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Željko Komšić, Denis Bećirović, and Željka Cvijanović. Additionally, the President of Montenegro, Jakov Milatović, will join the gathering.

According to the Macedonian Presidency’s statement, this year’s Brdo-Brijuni summit in Skopje will primarily focus on European integration, climate change, and youth migration.

The Brdo-Brijuni Process, initiated in 2010 by Borut Pahor, then Prime Minister of Slovenia, aims to bolster mutual trust in the Western Balkans, foster regional cooperation, and expedite the region’s integration into the European Union.

President Pendarovski hosted a dinner for the participating state presidents on Sunday, with the exception of Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vučić, who confirmed his attendance for Monday, coinciding with the summit.

Leaders from the Brdo-Brijuni Process states convene at least once annually.

Last year’s summit held in Bled, Slovenia resulted in several key conclusions, including an appeal to the European Union to grant visa liberalization to Kosovo and candidate status to Bosnia and Herzegovina for EU membership.

Starting January 1, 2024, citizens of Kosovo will benefit from visa liberalization, while Bosnia and Herzegovina obtained candidate status in December of the preceding year.