Rama confirms the participation of the leaders of the Open Balkans in the EU Summit

June 22, 2022

Open Balkans leaders Edi Rama, Aleksandar Vucic and Dimitar Kovacevski will attend the EU-Western Balkans summit on June 23 in Brussels.

Prime Minister Edi Rama confirmed his presence at the summit, but stressed that it is still early to be optimistic about the opening of negotiations for Albania and Northern Macedonia. In a Twitter post, the head of the Albanian government said that “we will seek to hear about the idea of an Open Balkans”.

“We will take part in the EU Council meeting. There will not be much to hear about us, but we will seek to hear about the idea of a New European Political Community that we support, about the Open Balkans that advance the spirit of Europe, and about our abduction by Bulgaria that destroys it.”- is written in Rama’s Twitter post.

We’ll attend the EU Council meeting. There won’t be much to hear about us but we’ll ask to be heard on the idea of a New European Political Community which we support,on the Open Balkan which takes forward the spirit of Europe & on our kidnapping from Bulgaria which destroys it.

— Edi Rama (@ediramaal) June 22, 2022

The leaders of the six Western Balkan countries have been invited to Brussels on the first day of the Summit, to be held on June 23rd and 24th. The President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, said that he discussed his participation in the next EU summit with video links with the Prime Ministers of Albania and Northern Macedonia, Edi Rama and Dimitar Kovacevski.

The President of Kosovo, Vjosa Osmani, has also confirmed her participation in this summit.

“At the meeting of EU and Western Balkans leaders, President Osmani will convey the clear message of the people of Kosovo on the need to accelerate the integration process, from stagnant visa liberalization to support for the country’s status. candidate for the Republic of Kosovo, after the application” it is said in the announcement of the Presidency of Kosovo.

The European Commission since 2018 has recommended visa liberalization for the citizens of Kosovo, but the decision of the European institutions on this issue has not yet been taken.

At the summit on June 23rd and 24th, the leaders of the 27 EU member states will also consider this week the applications for the status of candidate countries of Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia.