European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will not stop in Serbia or Bosnia and Herzegovina during her upcoming visit to the Western Balkans, the European Commission announced on Friday.
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According to European Commission spokesperson Arianna Podesta, the tour will take place from September 30 to October 2 and will include Tirana, Pristina, Podgorica and Skopje.
During her stay in the four countries, von der Leyen is expected to meet with presidents and prime ministers, while her agenda will also include visits to projects financed by the European Union.
Podesta said that the European Commission president would visit Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina at another time, as the current tour is taking place ahead of parliamentary and general elections in the two countries.
This will be von der Leyen’s sixth trip to the region. Such visits have become customary ahead of the publication of the annual package of progress reports for countries seeking EU membership.
For years, the European Commission president has maintained close relations with Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, whom she has on several occasions addressed as “dear Aleksandar.” This conduct has been criticized by Western Balkans experts.
It had previously been reported that von der Leyen would leave Serbia out of her visit because of the tense political and social situation there. The funeral of Ratko Mladić, who was convicted of war crimes and genocide, also triggered strong reactions in the European Union.
Several members of the European Parliament had also asked von der Leyen not to travel to Belgrade.
“As the president emphasized at the June summit, our Union will not be complete without the Western Balkans,” Podesta said.
She added that during meetings with partners, von der Leyen would discuss the measures that need to be taken on the region’s countries’ path toward the European Union, as well as gradual integration supported by the Growth Plan for the Western Balkans./RFE
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