Brussels, 13 December 2023 (dpa/MIA) - Western Balkans countries are expected to complete further reforms before being welcomed into the European Union, European Council President Charles Michel said on Wednesday.

"We are expecting from them more reforms, especially in the field of rule of law, in the field of the independence of justice," Michel said, as he arrived at a summit between the EU and Western Balkans leaders in Brussels.

"We can see there's a strong political determination in Montenegro, in the other Western Balkan countries, to implement the reforms that are needed," Michel said.

Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia all have ambitions to join the EU, but have been faced with lengthy and meticulous accession procedures that have already lasted several years.

Michel said that the EU would like to encourage "more investments" and "more economic development" in the Western Balkans countries.

He said that the EU has favoured a process of "gradual integration" of the countries "so that the people and the businesses in those countries can feel as soon as possible the positive effects of this engagement with the EU."

Photo: MIA archive