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Friends of the Western Balkans to accelerate regional integration into the EU

by AI | 11.Feb 2025 | Europe in brief AI

At the meeting of the Friends of the Western Balkans in Rome, Slovenia supported accelerating the enlargement process and admitting as many countries from the region to the EU as possible by 2030.

Friendly countries of the Western Balkans advocated for accelerating the integration of the region into the EU at a meeting in Rome. Photo: Thierry Monasse/STA

Rome – Foreign ministers and representatives of seven European countries, including Slovenia, called for the acceleration of Western Balkan countries’ integration into the EU at a meeting in Rome on Monday. Slovenia supports the region’s swift integration into the EU, the Slovenian foreign ministry emphasized at the meeting of the Friends of the Western Balkans.

Slovenia was represented at the meeting by the State Secretary at the foreign ministry Melita Gabrič. According to the foreign ministry, Slovenia advocates for the acceleration of the EU enlargement process and the admission of as many countries from the region as possible by 2030. The future of Europe is incomplete without the Western Balkans, they emphasized.

The meeting was also attended by the EU’s high foreign policy representative Kaja Kallas and the European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos. The host, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, argued that countries should be allowed to join by 2030, with Serbia and Albania potentially joining as early as 2029, according to him.

The informal group of Friends of the Western Balkans will celebrate its second anniversary in June. (February 10)