TIRANA, December 17 – The fourth EU–Western Balkans Summit takes place today in Brussels. The meeting serves as a strategic forum ahead of the final European Council gathering of the year. Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama traveled to the Belgian capital yesterday afternoon to participate.

The summit, chaired by Portuguese President Antonio Costa, will reaffirm the strategic partnership between the European Union and the Western Balkans. EU Council President, European Commission President, and High Representative Kaja Kallas also attends.

Organizers said a final declaration would be issued at the conclusion of the summit, supported by all Western Balkan partners.

The summit will highlight the importance of political and economic relations between the EU and the Western Balkans. Discussions will focus on reform progress, alignment with EU acquis, regional cooperation, and good-neighbor relations.

A key topic was the 2023 Western Balkans Growth Plan. The plan aims to integrate partners into the EU single market, strengthen regional economic cooperation, and stimulate reforms through up to €6 billion in investments. Officials said it seeks to accelerate economic growth and advance socio-economic convergence between the region and the EU.

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