The European Union and Western Balkans countries (Albania, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro and Serbia) are meeting in Sofia of Thursday 17 May in order to strengthen the links between the EU and the region. This will be their first summit since the one in Thessaloniki in June 2003.
"This is the first time in 15 years that there is a meeting with the partners of the region in this format", a senior EU official stated, already announcing that a new summit would be organised under the Croatian EU Presidency in 2020.
The European leaders have repeatedly said that the summit will not be an accession summit but the opportunity to reconfirm the six countries' "European perspective". The summit will not be about accession, contrary to the Thessaloniki statement which highlighted this. It will instead be a way of pleasing the partner countries but without rubbing up the member states, which are not very keen on accession or which do not recognise the independence of Kosovo (Spain, Greece, Cyprus, Romania and Slovakia). Issues linked to enlargement, especially the opening of accession negotiations with FYROM and Albania, will be discussed at the General Affairs Council and the European Council in June.
"It is important to focus on the issues of mutual importance that do not need to wait for enlargement", the senior European official stated. The summit will thus focus on connectivity, be this in terms of infrastructure (transport, energy, digital or economic) or of human relations. The leaders of the Western Balkans countries are expected to sign a declaration of intent on a digital agenda for the Western Balkans, including an action plan for reducing roaming charges. Security issues, such as terrorism, organised crime, radicalisation and illegal migration, will also be at the centre of the debate. The final statement will include an annex with the Sofia Agenda for priorities that highlight initiatives on the rule of law, security, economic development, connectivity and digital affairs.
While the Europeans welcome the holding of this summit, it will be marked by the absence of Spain's Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, due to the presence of Kosovo, which Spain does not recognise. "Up until now, the news I have is that, potentially, there is just one head of government who will not take part in the summit – but the country will be represented. We are talking about Spain", the senior official said. On the Balkans side, although there has long been doubt about the Serbian representation, it has been finally confirmed that Serbia's President Aleksandar Vučić will attend. Kosovo's President Hashim Thaçi, and the prime ministers of FYROM, Zoran Zaev, Albania, Edi Rama, and Montenegro, Duško Marković, as well as a member of the tripartite presidency of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bakir Izetbegović, will also be around the table.
Similarly, the final statement will not be common between the EU28 and the six countries of the Western Balkans, but only between the EU28 and the association of the six. "This is the formula that enables unity to be maintained", the senior EU official stated. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)