21/10/2025 (Agence Europe) – The Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation, Ekaterina Zaharieva, and the ministers from the Western Balkans met in Podgorica, Montenegro, on Monday 20 October. They approved recommendations to advance the integration of these countries into the EU’s research and innovation ecosystem and to align their policies with major EU initiatives, notably the ‘Startup’ and ‘Scaleup’ strategy (see EUROPE 13720/13), the ‘European Research Area Act’ (see EUROPE 13729/34) and the ‘European Innovation Act’ (see EUROPE 13723/10). They stressed the importance of infrastructures and artificial intelligence in the scientific field, as well as smart specialisation strategies. The conclusions of the meeting include commitments to support private sector engagement through funding, capacity building and skills development. (AD)