Leaders of the European Union (EU) and those of the Western Balkans gathered in Montenegro on Friday for a high-level summit, the focus of which is expected to be the enlargement of the European bloc.

The summit is being held in Tivat, a coastal town in Montenegro, and is attended by important European leaders and officials from candidate countries.

The EU is expected to consider new strategies during this summit to accelerate the membership process for the six candidate countries of the Western Balkans, according to the President of the European Council, Antonio Costa, who toured these countries this week to precede the summit.

The European bloc has also recently focused on encouraging reforms in these candidate states, following growing concerns about the influence of Russia and China in the region.

Albania, Bosnia, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro have been seeking EU membership for many years, but have yet to meet the necessary conditions, according to the bloc.

Each country is at a different stage of the membership process, but Montenegro and Albania are further along this journey.

To move forward on their path, candidate countries must align their legislation with EU standards in 35 policy areas, commonly known as “chapters.” The opening or closing of each chapter requires the consent of all 27 member states of the European Union.

The EU Council has said that leaders will discuss enlargement and that this will be an opportunity for the European Union to reiterate its full and clear commitment to the perspective of EU membership for the Western Balkans.

Leaders are expected to assess the progress achieved in the gradual integration of the Western Balkans into the EU and to consider ways to further accelerate this process, in particular through the Growth Plan for the Western Balkans.

They will also discuss ways to address common challenges and strengthen the security and stability of the region in an increasingly complex geopolitical context.

President Costa said in Belgrade on Thursday that European leaders will discuss with their counterparts from the Western Balkans ways to improve the methodologies of the accession process, with the aim of achieving faster and more effective progress.

Moreover, the EU has stressed the need for Serbia and Kosovo to normalize their relations so that their membership applications can move forward. Kosovo declared its independence in 2008, but Serbia continues to not recognize it.

During his visit to Kosovo on Wednesday, Costa reiterated that the normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia is necessary for the European future of both countries.

Speaking at a conference with Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić in Belgrade, Costa underlined the urgent need for joint efforts, stressing that "enlargement is not a utopia; it is a real possibility in the coming years."

An inevitable topic will also be the different models of rapprochement with the European Union, which in recent months have been offered to candidate countries before full membership.

The letter from German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who proposed “creative solutions” for candidate countries, has attracted particular attention. Merz presented two different models: one for Ukraine and another for the Western Balkan countries and Moldova.

For Ukraine, he proposed the associated membership model, which would mean participation in all EU institutions, but without voting rights and without veto rights.

For the Western Balkan countries and Moldova, the German Chancellor proposes observer status as a transitional form of rapprochement with the European Union.

Meanwhile, unlike previous occasions, this summit will not have a final document. According to announcements from European officials involved in organizing the meeting, no joint statement will be adopted.

The reasons have not been disclosed. This is not a conspiracy theory; it seems more that the EU has nothing new to offer other than the already confirmed political messages, which were harmonized at the summit held six months ago, in December 2025, in Brussels.

Apart from confirming that the region's future lies in the European Union, Brussels' only concrete offer for the Western Balkans will be the announcement that the region could become part of the roaming-free zone starting next year.

For this reason, the EU Council accelerated the completion of the procedures so that this step could be presented as a success during the summit. The procedures were completed on June 4, just one day before the meeting. The summit host claims that 35 international delegations will be in Tivat. About 20 leaders of the European Union member states have confirmed their participation.

All Western Balkan leaders have confirmed their participation. Kosovo is represented at this meeting by the acting president, Albulena Haxhiu. Kosovo is currently in its third parliamentary election campaign in less than a year and a half.

Meanwhile, unlike last December, the summit will be attended by the President of Serbia, Aleksandar VucicHis arrival has been accompanied by rising tensions with Montenegro, as Montenegrin authorities have expelled at the airport a group of men who had arrived in Podgorica on a charter flight.

Although relations with Montenegro are not at the best level and tensions began to rise after the celebration of Montenegrin independence, Vučić did not give up on participating because he had promised this to the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, who had personally called him to discuss his participation.

Meanwhile, among those who will not attend is Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar. Some European diplomats believe the reason is that he has not yet defined his policy towards the region. His predecessor and political opponent, Viktor Orban, regularly attended summits with Western Balkan leaders and maintained close relations with the leaders of Serbia and Republika Srpska.

The EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, will not be present at the summit either. Officially, private reasons have been cited. Unofficial sources say that Kallas is ill and physically unable to travel to Tivat./REL