Remarks by President António Costa at the press conference following the EU-Western Balkans of 5 June 2026

Thank you, Mr President for your welcome and for this very successful Summit between the European Union and the Western Balkans, here in Tivat, where we celebrated the twentieth anniversary of Montenegro’s restored independence. What you have achieved in just 20 years is truly impressive!  This Summit concludes my second annual Western Balkans tour, as I travelled to all our partners in the region this week. During the tour, I exchanged with leaders, representatives of civil society and students of the College of Europe in Tirana. We took stock of all the progress achieved since our last Summit, six months ago. I want to mention some important milestones which demonstrate the momentum for enlargement: Last month, the European Union began drafting Montenegro’s accession treaty. For the first time since 2013, we are really counting down to the next enlargement. For Montenegro to become the 28th Member State by 2028. Last week, we held an Intergovernmental Conference with Albania which opened up the next phase in the accession process. In addition, the Commission has proposed to close three negotiation chapters with Albania. And the Serbian government presented a concrete calendar to approve the missing elements of the electoral law reform and to complete the judiciary reform in line with the ODIRH and Venice Commission recommendations, in the coming weeks. And very importantly, this week, we are unlocking the process for opening the first enlargement cluster for Ukraine and Moldova This is proof that reforms and engagement with all actors of society pay off. And that the European Union is committed to enlargement.  These were my messages during my visits this week. I encouraged all partners to seize the opportunity, use the current momentum, and take all the necessary steps to accelerate their progress on the European Union path. Full alignment of our Western Balkans partners with the EU’s Common Foreign and Security Policy remains an essential manifestation of our unity. The European Union is a community of values and a project of peace, prosperity, and security. It is a project on which we are all continuously working.  The Western Balkans are an integral part of the European Union’s future. Their accession remains our priority and a crucial geopolitical investment. The process is and will remain grounded on merit and credible reforms.  At the same time, our discussion today showed our shared ambition to deliver as soon as possible on enlargement. That’s why we are considering new ideas to streamline and accelerate the process. To increase trust in the European Union and increase the motivation of the Western Balkan partners.    Fostering good neighbourly relations and regional cooperation is also an essential priority to ensure the security and economic prosperity of the region. This will require difficult decisions and sustained efforts. But this is how Europe has been building a shared future in the last decades.  The Western Balkans can count on our continued support. The European Union is and will remain the most reliable partner of the region. Because the future of the Western Balkans lies with the future of the European Union. Once again, thank you, dear Jakov for hosting us today in beautiful Tivat. View in browser   Press material Friday, 05 June 2026     ● European Council   05/06/2026 17:18 | Statements and remarks | Remarks by President António Costa at the press conference following the EU-Western Balkans of 5 June 2026   Thank you, Mr President for your welcome and for this very successful Summit between the European Union and the Western Balkans, here in Tivat, where we celebrated the twentieth anniversary of Montenegro’s restored independence. What you have achieved in just 20 years is truly impressive!  This Summit concludes my second annual Western Balkans tour, as I travelled to all our partners in the region this week. During the tour, I exchanged with leaders, representatives of civil society and students of the College of Europe in Tirana. We took stock of all the progress achieved since our last Summit, six months ago. I want to mention some important milestones which demonstrate the momentum for enlargement: Last month, the European Union began drafting Montenegro’s accession treaty. For the first time since 2013, we are really counting down to the next enlargement. For Montenegro to become the 28th Member State by 2028. Last week, we held an Intergovernmental Conference with Albania which opened up the next phase in the accession process. In addition, the Commission has proposed to close three negotiation chapters with Albania. And the Serbian government presented a concrete calendar to approve the missing elements of the electoral law reform and to complete the judiciary reform in line with the ODIRH and Venice Commission recommendations, in the coming weeks. And very importantly, this week, we are unlocking the process for opening the first enlargement cluster for Ukraine and Moldova This is proof that reforms and engagement with all actors of society pay off. And that the European Union is committed to enlargement.  These were my messages during my visits this week. I encouraged all partners to seize the opportunity, use the current momentum, and take all the necessary steps to accelerate their progress on the European Union path. Full alignment of our Western Balkans partners with the EU’s Common Foreign and Security Policy remains an essential manifestation of our unity. The European Union is a community of values and a project of peace, prosperity, and security. It is a project on which we are all continuously working.  The Western Balkans are an integral part of the European Union’s future. Their accession remains our priority and a crucial geopolitical investment. The process is and will remain grounded on merit and credible reforms.  At the same time, our discussion today showed our shared ambition to deliver as soon as possible on enlargement. That’s why we are considering new ideas to streamline and accelerate the process. To increase trust in the European Union and increase the motivation of the Western Balkan partners.    Fostering good neighbourly relations and regional cooperation is also an essential priority to ensure the security and economic prosperity of the region. This will require difficult decisions and sustained efforts. But this is how Europe has been building a shared future in the last decades.  The Western Balkans can count on our continued support. The European Union is and will remain the most reliable partner of the region. Because the future of the Western Balkans lies with the future of the European Union. Once again, thank you, dear Jakov for hosting us today in beautiful Tivat.   Visit the website Contacts Maria Tomasik +32 470 88 23 83 / +32 2 281 51 50 Beatriz Navarro +32 471 33 22 92 / +32 2 281 51 50 Symeon Piperidis +32 478 83 12 21 / +32 2 281 84 72 Discover more news about the EU on the Council’s Website   Follow us on:   You received this message because you signed up for our email alerts. Unsubscribe | Manage alerts | Legal notice | Copyright | Contact us Please do not reply to this email