Brussels (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Commission President von der Leyen travels to the Western Balkans to examine their progress on the EU path.
The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, will begin a four-day journey to the Western Balkans on 23 Oct 2023, where she will be seated with the leaders of Albania, North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Kosovo, and Montenegro. The aim of the trip is to examine Western Balkan partners’ progress on the EU path as well as the EU’s €6 billion Growth Plan.
Which leaders will von der Leyen meet in Albania?
As reported by the Commission the President will first land in Tirana, where she will meet the Prime Minister of Albania, Edi Rama. She will also give a speech at the opening ceremony of the academic year of the College of Europe campus in Tirana. The President will also meet with Bajram Begaj, President of Albania.
What is the significance of von der leyen’s visit to skopje?
Afterwards, she will travel to Skopje, where she will have meetings with the Prime Minister of North Macedonia, Hristijan Mickoski, and with the President, Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova.
Later in the day, the Commission president will tour Jablanica, in Bosnia and Herzegovina, to visit the sites affected by the floods that recently struck the country. On 25 Oct, she will be in Sarajevo, where she will sit for the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as the Chairwoman of the Council of Ministers, Borjana Krišto.
How will Bosnia and Herzegovina’s flood recovery be addressed?
Moving forward, the President will travel to Belgrade. There, she will have a meeting with the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, and the PM, Miloš Vučević. On the Next day, President von der Leyen will land in Pristina, where she will meet with the President of Kosovo, Vjosa Osmani, and the Prime Minister, Albin Kurti.
She will complete her trip to the western Balkans by landing in Podgorica, where she will have discussions with the President of Montenegro, Jakov Milatović, and with the PM, Milojko Spajić. The President will carry out press conferences during all her stays.
