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.
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.
EU High Representative would meet today in Brussels leaders from the Western Balkans, Prva TV reports.
Presidents of Serbia, Kosovo and Montenegro, Aleksandar Vucic, Hashim Thaci and Milo Djukanovic as well as prime ministers of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Macedonia, Rama, Zvizdic and Zaev are invited to attend the meeting.
EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini plans to hold a meeting with prime ministers of W. Balkans in the second half of December. Tanjug said on Wednesday it learned this unofficially.
Mogherini plans to organize a meeting of prime ministers of the Western Balkans six before the holiday break in Brussels, just as last year and according to Tanjug it could be a working lunch on December 19.
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. The Prime Minister of Serbia Ana Brnabic is also expected to attend the Vienna meeting.
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.
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.
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.
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 head of the MIA's Department for International Cooperation Zoran Lazarov denied media reports that Serbia and the EU signed an agreement on the deployment of members of the European Border Guard and Coast Guard (Frontex) on the borders of Serbia. European Commissioner for Enlargement Johannes Hahn is not aware also about the alleged spread of Frontex to the borders of the Western Balkans, reports reginal broadcaster N1.