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The EU Will Look for Ways to Make It Quicker for the Western Balkan Countries to Join the Bloc
Costa said the EU will seek faster membership talks for six Western Balkan candidates as leaders weigh reforms and rising Russian and Chinese influence.
- On Friday, European Council President Antonio Costa will gather leaders in Tivat, Montenegro, to discuss accelerating membership for six Western Balkan candidate nations, pledging to approach the expansion process with "new enthusiasm."
- To join the European Union, candidate countries must align laws across 35 policy "chapters," a process the bloc is accelerating to counter the growing influence of Russia and China in the region.
- Serbia faces a potential loss of around 1.5 billion euros in funding due to European Union concerns regarding democratic backsliding, while President Aleksandar Vucic also navigates domestic unrest following a 2024 train station accident that killed 16 people.
- Belgrade must normalize relations with Kosovo, which declared independence in 2008, to progress on its membership path; the EU also requires Serbia to align its foreign policy, including imposing sanctions on Russia.
- Costa maintained that while enlargement could be real in the coming years, "the pace of progress depends on Serbia's own resolve" and the country's commitment to reform.
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23 Articles
23 Articles
The leaders of the European Union and the Western Balkans will gather tomorrow in Tivat for a summit whose main topics will be enlargement, gradual integration of the region into the EU, security, stability and resilience.
·Belgrade, Serbia
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EU eyes expansion at high-stakes EU-Western Balkans summit
EU and Western Balkans leaders are gathering in Montenegro ahead of a high-level summit focused on EU enlargement. Montenegro, the host nation, is also a frontrunner and could join the bloc as early as 2028. Our EU Editor, Maria Tadeo, reports live from Tivat.
·France
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The leaders of the European Union meet this Friday in Montenegro with their Western Balkan counterparts to show them that they are committed to their accession and ask them to take advantage of this dynamic.
·Portugal
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Total News Sources23
Leaning Left5Leaning Right1Center7Last UpdatedBias Distribution54% Center
Bias Distribution
- 54% of the sources are Center
54% Center
L 38%
C 54%
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