TIRANA, June 1 – President of the European Council Antonio Costa said the time has come to advance European Union enlargement as he prepared to begin a tour of the six Western Balkans partners this week.

A few days before the visit, Costa stressed the European Union’s commitment to the region and underlined the opportunities created by the enlargement process. He said the Union’s engagement with the Western Balkans is real and that the prospect of enlargement is equally real. Costa added that the moment has arrived and called for concrete results.

Meanwhile, the European Council president will visit the six Western Balkans partners during the first week of June. He will begin the tour in Sarajevo before travelling to Tirana on June 2.

In Tirana, Costa will meet Edi Rama, Bajram Begaj and students from the College of Europe.

Later, he will continue to Skopje, Prishtina and Belgrade. The tour will conclude on June 5 in Tivat (Montenegro), where Costa will co-chair the annual EU–Western Balkans Summit.

During the meetings, regional leaders will discuss European Union enlargement, the gradual integration of Western Balkans partners, regional cooperation, and security and stability challenges.

/a.p./