Olaf Scholz Welcomes Leaders of Balkan States to Berlin

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Monday welcomed the leaders of the six Western Balkan states to a Berlin summit aimed at forging closer ties between those nations and the European Union.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and representatives from nine EU states and international organizations were also taking part in the talks.

The aim of the Western Balkans summits, which have been held annually since 2014, is to gradually bring Serbia, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro and North Macedonia closer to the EU.

Of the six states, only Kosovo is not an official candidate for EU membership.

An action plan for a common regional market and a new mobility agreement, which includes access to higher education, is set to be signed at the summit.

The 27-member bloc has not admitted a new member since Croatia in 2013.

But EU officials have said the war in Ukraine and other geopolitical concerns highlight the importance of the strategic partnership between the EU and the Balkans.