Greek Prime Minister: Offer the integration of all Western Balkans into the EU by 2033

Russia's invasion of Ukraine has given a new sense of urgency to the need to connect Montenegro, Serbia, Albania, Northern Macedonia, Bosnia and Kosovo closer to the 27 EU member states, in part to respond to increased Russian and Chinese influence in the region. This approach could include full membership or an alternative community.

In an article published in '%Politico' ahead of the summit to be held in Greece, on the Southeast European Co-operation Process (SEECP), Mitsotakis said the EU should show that when “provides a vision, it has the goal and capacity to follow it”.

The vision of EU accession for the region, he said, has become “unclear, fading in the eyes of frustrated and disappointed citizens”, while EU enlargement has stalled in recent years due to security concerns, governance and migration.

A summit between the European Union and the Western Balkan countries will be held on 23 June.

My “message today is clear: in line with the set criteria, let's offer the integration of all Western Balkans into the EU by 2033 an ambitious but attainable timeline. This is too late,” said Mitsotakis.

The first “should be a decision taken within two weeks in Brussels to unblock the route of northern Macedonia and Albania.

Mitsotakis's initiative shows how Greece has tried to boost its role in the Balkans after exiting a financial crisis that tarnished its image.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who on Friday began a two-day tour of the Western Balkans, is also expected to travel to the Greek city of Thessaloniki to attend a dinner with 13 SEECP participants. / REL