Brussels, 15 September 2021 (MIA) - European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced on Wednesday morning that she’ll pay a visit to the Western Balkans by the end of September to show support for the EU enlargement process in the region, MIA reports from Brussels. Von der Leyen made the announcement during her annual State of the Union speech, in which the EC President presents the European Union’s achievements and challenges. “Before the end of the month, I will travel to the region to send a strong signal of our commitment to the accession process. We owe it to all those young people who believe in a European future,” she said. Moreover, she reiterated that the European Union supports the region through its new investment and economic plan, worth around a third of the region's GDP. “An investment in the future of the Western Balkans is an investment in the future of the EU,” the EC head stressed. She failed to mention all the countries in the region by name, as she had done in the past, and especially the fact that North Macedonia and Albania have met preconditions to start EU accession negotiations.