EU Seeks to Accelerate Western Balkans Membership Process Amid Internal Tensions
European Council President Antonio Costa announced that EU leaders will discuss ways to speed up the membership process for six Western Balkan candidate countries at a summit in Montenegro. The EU views enlargement to the region as a critical geopolitical investment, though the process remains stringent and candidates must meet democratic and governance standards. The initiative faces complications from tensions between candidate states themselves, including security disputes between Serbia and Montenegro.
European Council President Antonio Costa stated that the EU is seeking to accelerate the membership timeline for Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Serbia, and Montenegro, emphasizing that enlargement to the Western Balkans represents the bloc's most important geopolitical investment. Costa stressed that while the process would be made faster and better, it would not be made easier, and that candidates must continue meeting stringent requirements including democratic reforms and foreign policy alignment with the EU. Serbia specifically faces potential loss of €1.5 billion in EU funding if it does not halt democratic backsliding. The EU-Western Balkans summit in Tivat, Montenegro, on Friday was intended to assess progress, but tensions between candidate states threaten to overshadow discussions, including Montenegro's ban of 87 Serbian nationals citing security concerns and Serbia's security agency warning President Vucic against attending due to alleged hostile foreign activities.
What different sources said
- Deutsche WelleCenter
EU seeking ways to speed up Western Balkans membership
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