Von der Leyen begins Balkan tour in Tirana, travels to Pristina on 1 October

Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, arrives in Tirana today at the start of her visit to the Western Balkans.

After her stay in Albania, the senior European official will continue her agenda in Kosovo, Montenegro and North Macedonia.

In Tirana, von der Leyen is expected to meet with the country’s highest-ranking state officials. The talks will focus on Albania’s European integration and the steps that should be taken next toward membership in the European Union.

On 1 October, the president of the European Commission will travel to Pristina, where she will hold meetings with Acting President Albulena Haxhiu and Prime Minister Albin Kurti. Also on 1 October, she will travel to Podgorica, while her visit to the region will conclude on 2 October in Skopje.

Reforms, the countries’ progress toward their European perspective and the region’s gradual integration into the European Union’s structures and market are expected to be among the main topics of discussion in these four Western Balkan countries.

Particular attention will also be paid to the Growth Plan for the Western Balkans. Through this instrument, the EU aims to support economic development, the implementation of reforms and the region’s countries’ closer integration with the European market.

This marks Ursula von der Leyen’s sixth visit to the Western Balkans. During the tour, she is also expected to visit projects financed with the support of the European Union.