Almost all print and electronic media in the region are reporting this Thursday about the visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to Serbia. They are also analyzing the possible topics of discussions in Belgrade today. Croatian agency Hina writes that the focus of the meeting between the Russian and Serbian presidents, when it comes to bilateral topics, will also include "the current situation in the region, primarily the issue of Kosovo, whose independence Russia does not recognize and s

Former Austrian Vice-Chancellor Erhard Busek thinks that the EU must change its strategy towards the Western Balkans. And it should allow all countries from the region to join immediately, he said, B92 reports. During last night's debate "Europe and you: the balance of the Austrian Presidency and the prospects for the European Parliament elections," held in Vienna, Busek emphasized that it was pointless to "play a doctor" and try to correct something. "The south of Italy is not mature for the EU either, yet it is in the Union. We need the entire Balkans in the EU urgently.

EU High Representative would meet today in Brussels leaders from the Western Balkans, Prva TV reports.

EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini plans to hold a meeting with prime ministers of W. Balkans in the second half of December.

Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz has invited Western Balkans prime ministers for a working meeting on Monday, November 19, in Vienna. The talks will be attended by the prime ministers of Albania, Macedonia, Montenegro, the chairman of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia-Herzegovina, and the prime minister of the interim institutions in Pristina.

Executive Director at the European Fund for the Balkans Hedvig Morvai stresses that 2025 should be forgotten as a date for the Western Balkans to enter the EU. Morvai pointed out that this should be done because it is impossible to achieve the goal by that time, and that it is not motivating. Also, according to her, the region is not doing its part, while the EU is not ready to change its approach to the region, because it faces difficult challenges itself. She emphasized the importance of regional cooperation and said that this is a tool for the development of the region, and not an end in

The people of the Western Balkans must be offered something tangible by the European Union or the region will have a hard time maintaining its stability, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic warned in a speech at the 8th annual Belgrade Security Forum. “We have to offer everyone in the Western Balkans something tangible, promises must be kept and people have to see that,” Vucic said, adding that a stronger European Union presence is needed in the region following the outcome of the referendum in Macedonia on an agreement between Skoplje and Athens to resolve their dispute over the name Macedoni

European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini and the Western Balkans leaders discussed the situation in the region and its European integrations, in New York yesterday, TV N1 reports. In an informal meeting, on the sidelines of the 73rd UN General Assembly session, they talked about the situation in the region, regional cooperation and the EU integration of the Western Balkan countries, Mogherini's spokesperson, Maja Kocijancic wrote on Twitter. Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic will address the General Assembly later today, on the third day

Thomas Schieb, German ambassador to Serbia, said that the future of the Western Balkans is in the European Union, reiterating the bloc's general stand that the entry would be based on merits, TV N1 reported. Schieb was addressing a two-day regional conference “Western Balkans 2030 - visions, wishes, reality,” opened in Belgrade on Wednesday. The conference, organized by the German-Serbian chamber of commerce, would tackle issues of the region’s European perspective and the challenges on its way to the bloc’s membership, including political, economic and social aspects of the regional countri