Brussels, 16 December 2025 (MIA) – During his working visit to Brussels, Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski is to attend the EU-Western Balkans Summit on Wednesday afternoon, aimed at reaffirming the strength of the EU-Western Balkans strategic relationship and the benefits it brings to citizens.

At the summit, which will be chaired by the President of the European Council, António Costa, in addition to Prime Minister Mickoski, leaders of the other five candidate or aspiring EU member states from the Western Balkans will also take part, along with the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas.

The main topics of the meeting will include the strategic partnership between the EU and the Western Balkans, gradual integration into the Union and the Growth Plan for the region, as well as foreign affairs, security and defence.

According to the European Council, at the end of the summit, the EU-Western Balkans summit declaration will be issued. Western Balkan partners are expected to align themselves with the declaration.

As announced, the summit will mark the importance of the political and economic relationship between the EU and Western Balkans partners, especially in the current geopolitical context and the need for ever-stronger ties between the EU and the Western Balkans.

“The EU will reaffirm full and unequivocal commitment to the European Union membership perspective of the Western Balkans, as well as the progress achieved in the enlargement process, reflected in the latest report by the Commission. The summit will underline the importance of tangible progress on reforms, alignment with the ‘acquis’, regional cooperation, good neighbourly relations and reconciliation,” the European Council said in a press release.

It also adds that the EU is committed to bringing the Western Balkans partners closer to the EU during the enlargement process.

“Their gradual integration is ongoing in several policy areas, preparing the ground for accession and bringing concrete benefits for citizens,” the EU said.

The EU is expected to welcome concrete progress on the gradual integration of the Western Balkans partners into the EU single market, notably through the Growth Plan for the Western Balkans. Launched in 2023, the Growth Plan aims to further integrate the Western Balkans partners into the EU single market, advance regional economic cooperation, as well as to incentivise the necessary EU-related reforms by providing up to €6 billion for reforms and investments.

“The Growth Plan has the potential to accelerate economic growth in the region over the next decade and to speed up socioeconomic convergence between the Western Balkans and the EU, provided that the partners implement the EU-related reforms. The EU is Western Balkans' primary and most reliable partner. It is the region's main trading partner, investor and donor,” reads the press release.

It adds that EU and Western Balkans leaders are united in their unwavering support for and solidarity with Ukraine.

“The EU commends those Western Balkans partners that are already fully aligned with the EU's Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) and encourages further alignment by those partners who have not yet done so,” reads the press release.

Leaders will also discuss cooperation in the areas of security and defence and resilience to hybrid and cyber threats to counter foreign interference and disinformation.

“The EU and the Western Balkans have a shared responsibility for addressing common challenges. They will discuss actions and joint efforts in key areas: migration management, visa policy, combating trafficking in human beings, border management, fight against corruption, drug trafficking and organised crime preventing and countering terrorism and violent extremism,” according to the press release.

The summit is part of the implementation of the European Council's 2024-2029 strategic agenda. Regular EU-Western Balkans summits have been held since 2018. The latest summit between EU and Western Balkans leaders took place in Brussels in December 2024. The next summit will take place in June 2026 in Montenegro.

During the Brussels visit, Prime Minister Mickoski is accompanied by Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Timcho Mucunski and Minister for European Affairs Orhan Murtezani.

Photo: MIA archive