On Tuesday 19 September, in the margins of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs, Josep Borrell, held an informal meeting with the leaders of the countries of the Western Balkans.
Discussions focused on geopolitical challenges and how to deal with the consequences of Russia’s invasion war in Ukraine, including food prices, energy, stability and security.
The High Representative also reiterated that the EU “counts on all candidate countries as reliable partners also in foreign, security and defence policy”, despite the fact that some countries, such as Serbia, have still not aligned themselves with the EU’s positions and decisions in this area, particularly with regard to sanctions against Russia.
Discussions also focused on EU enlargement and mutual expectations, with the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, stating that the EU must be ready to welcome new Member States by 2030 (see EUROPE 13237/8).
At the meeting, Mr Borrell reaffirmed that the EU would continue to provide political, technical and financial support to “all candidates and potential candidates to help them advance key political, institutional, social and economic reforms”. (Original version in French by Thomas Mangin)