EU and Balkan Leaders Hold Summit in Montenegro on EU Expansion

Leaders from the European Union and the Balkans gathered in the Adriatic Sea coastal town of Tivat, Montenegro on Friday for the EU-Western Balkans summit focused on expanding the bloc. President Emmanuel Macron of France, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa attended the meeting.

Montenegro marked the 20th anniversary last month of its declaration of independence from a union with Serbia.

The country of 623,000 people joined NATO in 2017 and aims to become the 28th EU member in 2028. The motto “28 by 28” is inscribed on one of the planes of Montenegro's national airline. The EU has formed a working group to draft an accession treaty for Montenegro.

The country is considered a front-runner ahead of Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia, Kosovo and North Macedonia. ” All 27 EU members must agree before each chapter can be opened and again before it can be closed. Ukraine and Moldova are among about ten countries aspiring to join the EU.

Iceland will hold a referendum in August on whether to apply for membership. Costa chaired the summit after touring Western Balkan countries this week. On Thursday he met with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic.

Costa said that in times of “global geopolitical uncertainty and economic instability” enlarging the EU is “not just an opportunity. ” The summit is the first to bring together EU leaders since the April defeat of Viktor Orban, Hungary’s former prime minister.