Western Balkan Leaders Meet with EU Council Ahead of Summit

Brussels (Eurotoday) – EU Council’s António Costa hosted Western Balkan leaders for an informal dinner ahead of the EU-Western Balkans conference.

The new President of the European Council António Costa hosted the leaders of the Western Balkan nations for an informal dinner. The dinner was hosted ahead of the annual EU-Western Balkans conference, which is taking place in Brussels on 18 December 2024.

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António Costa met separately with the Prime Minister of Albania Edi Rama, the Prime Minister of North Macedonia Hristijan Mickoski, Chairwoman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina Željka Cvijanović, President of Serbia Aleksandar Vučić and Prime Minister of Kosovo Albin Kurti. António Costa also met with the President of Kosovo Vjosa Osmani and President of Montenegro Jakov Milatović.

New High Representative of the European Union Kaja Kallas and Commissioner on Enlargement Marta Kos also partook in the meeting. Previously, Aleksandar Vučić and Albin Kurti met with Kaja Kallas. The conference took place in the context of the recent raid on the Ibar Lepenac/Ibër-Lepenci water canal.

“I met with Aleksandar Vučić and Albin Kurti. The only way to EU membership is through normalisation of their relations, based on the Ohrid agreement. I welcomed the readiness to fully cooperate after the recent terrorist attack. Perpetrators must face justice,” Kaja Kallas stated.

Albin Kurti said after the meeting that the Government of Kosovo had seized not only weapons and ammunition but also 74 military emblems belonging to Russian and Serbian forces. Vučić, meanwhile, restated his position that there was no involvement of Belgrade and that Serbia is running its own investigation, the results of which will be understood in the coming days and weeks.