EU summit in Montenegro pushes Western Balkan accession

European Union leaders and their counterparts from six Western Balkan nations gathered in the coastal town of Tivat, Montenegro, on Friday for a summit aimed at accelerating the region’s integration into the bloc. The meeting, attended by numerous European heads of state and institutional leaders, underscores a renewed political drive for EU enlargement amid heightened geopolitical tensions.

European Council President António Costa, who toured the Western Balkan countries in the days preceding the summit, stated the event sends a clear signal that the EU’s commitment to the region is real. He described enlargement as a geostrategic necessity for Europe in times of global uncertainty. The six candidate countries involved are Montenegro, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Kosovo, and North Macedonia, all at different stages of the complex accession process.

Montenegro and Albania are widely considered the frontrunners. Montenegro, which joined NATO in 2017, has set an ambitious goal to become the EU’s 28th member by 2028. The EU has already formed a working group to draft an accession treaty for the country. However, officials note Montenegro must still make further progress...