Western Balkans leaders in Durres on Monday for the Brdo-Brioni Initiative summit

Western Balkan leaders will meet on Monday in Durres, Albania, at the Brdo-Brioni Initiative summit, and the main topic will be the European perspective of the Western Balkans, with a special focus on the region's Growth Plan, North Macedonia's MIA news agency reported today.

As stated, the Brdo-Brioni Process is a joint Slovenian-Croatian initiative launched in 2013, and its members are Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Kosovo, North Macedonia and Serbia.

The summit in Durres is organized by the presidents of Slovenia and Croatia, Nataša Pirc Musar and Zoran Milanović, and hosted by the president of Albania, Bajram Begaj.

The participation of the President of Montenegro Jakov Milatović, members of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina Željka Cvijanović, Denis Bećirović and Željko Komšić, President of Macedonia Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova, President of Kosovo Vjosa Osmani and President of Serbia Aleksandar Vučić was confirmed at the meeting in Albania.

The Brdo-Brijuni Initiative aims to encourage mutual cooperation and facilitate the efforts of countries in the region on their path towards the EU.

This year's meeting will be held under the motto "Common interests, shared commitment to a common future: Together towards the EU". In addition to the issue of the European perspective of the Western Balkan countries, it will also focus on strengthening regional cooperation, the organizers announced.

At the Durres summit, Slovenia will once again emphasize that EU enlargement to the Western Balkans is the most effective geopolitical tool for ensuring stability, peace and security in the region.

The summit participants will pay particular attention to the implementation of the EU's plan for economic growth in the Western Balkans, which enables the countries of the region to gradually integrate into the EU and brings concrete benefits to their citizens. To this end, the EU has established a financial instrument for the period 2024-2027 worth six billion euros.

North Macedonia is expected to receive over 750 million euros from the EU's Western Balkans Growth Plan by the end of 2027, Kosovo 880 million, Albania 920 million, Serbia over 1,5 billion euros, Montenegro 380 million and Bosnia and Herzegovina around 900 million euros, after the European Commission cut their funds by ten percent due to delays in the plan.

Meetings within the Brdo-Brijuni initiative have been held annually since 2013. Last year, it was held in Montenegro, where leaders stressed in a joint statement the importance of good neighborly relations and regional cooperation and committed to further reforms, strengthening the strategic dialogue with the EU, and implementing the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans.