[ad_1]
EU Fee president Ursula von der Leyen and European Council president Charles Michel are on Monday (21 August) attending a casual dinner on EU enlargement within the Greek capital Athens.
In October, the fee will report, because it recurrently does, on the progress of negotiations with the Balkan nations, earlier than European leaders resolve whether or not to open full accession negotiations. A choice is predicted on the EU summit in December.
Be a part of EUobserver right this moment
Turn into an knowledgeable on Europe
Get instantaneous entry to all articles — and 20 years of archives.
14-day free trial.
… or subscribe as a bunch
Though the European equipment will not be but absolutely operational, Greek prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis will host numerous European leaders to mark the twentieth anniversary of the 2003 Thessaloniki Declaration, the place European and Western Balkan leaders agreed that the way forward for the Balkans ought to have a European perspective.
The assembly will convey collectively the leaders of Serbia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Romania and Croatia, amongst others.
And though there isn’t any official affirmation or denial for safety causes, European leaders are additionally anticipating a go to from Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, the Greek press reported.
The Ukrainian chief is as soon as once more visiting numerous European nations, together with Sweden, Denmark and the Netherlands, in the hunt for financial and army help to safe the way forward for a rustic at warfare.
Along with this doable shock visitor, there will even be one notable absence.
Albanian prime minister Edi Rama is not going to be attending the talks, reflecting the low level in diplomatic relations between Athens and Tirana.
Rama was not invited, however the workplace of Albanian president Bairam Begai was, who declined the invitation, in line with the Greek press.
Syriza, Greece’s most important opposition celebration, mentioned in a press release on Sunday that it was the prime minister who had not invited her Albanian counterpart “due to the Beleri affair”.
The case considerations Fredi Beleri, who has been detained since Could on suspicion of vote-buying. Beleri is a Greek expatriate who received the mayoral elections in Himare, in southern Albania, however has not but been in a position to take workplace.
Syriza additionally mentioned the the casual dinner shouldn’t be “one other public relations alternative” and that concrete initiatives for the rise of the Western Balkans can be introduced. Ought to Zelensky seem, “we anticipate messages to be despatched on the Cyprus downside as effectively,” the opposition celebration added.
[ad_2]
Source link