EU and Western Balkans strengthen partnership at summit

The leaders of the EU Member States and the Western Balkans highlighted their close partnership at a summit on Wednesday 18 December in Brussels. The EU reiterated its commitment to the region and called for strong foreign and security policy cooperation from its Western Balkans partners. Prime Minister Petteri Orpo represented Finland at the summit.

After the summit, the leaders adopted a joint declaration emphasising cooperation between the EU and the Western Balkans in a variety of sectors. The Western Balkans countries working towards EU membership are Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia.

“EU enlargement is a key priority for the Finnish Government. That said, we must be sure that candidate countries meet the criteria for membership. It is especially important that they are committed to the EU’s common values and to implementing reforms related to the rule of law,” Prime Minister Orpo said.

At last year’s EU-Western Balkans summit, Finland agreed to finance the studies of two Finnish students at the College of Europe campus in Tirana, Albania.

“I am very pleased with the agreement we reached with the College of Europe. The scholarships give young Finnish professionals a vantage point for building the future of Europe in the Western Balkans,” said Prime Minister Orpo.

On Thursday 19 December, the EU leaders will meet for the European Council. Ukraine will be a key theme on the agenda, and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been invited to take part in the discussions. Other items on the agenda include the Middle East, the EU’s role on the international stage, preparedness and resilience, and migration. The leaders will also discuss EU enlargement and other topical foreign policy issues.

Inquiries: Tuomas Tikkanen, Senior Adviser to the Prime Minister in European Affairs, tel. +358 40 523 5768, Elisa Tarkiainen, Special Adviser (EU Affairs), tel. +358 50 433 4533 and Marko Ruonala, Project Manager, tel. +358 50 522 8233 (Communications), Prime Minister’s Office