European Union leaders and Western Balkan leaders will meet in Brussels on November 25. The summit will focus on the strategic importance of relations between the bloc and the region.

The European Union will be represented by European Council President António Costa and the President of the European Commission.

Ahead of the meeting, Costa stressed the importance of the region’s European perspective and the bloc’s role as a reliable partner. He said Western Balkan membership remained a shared priority and a key geopolitical investment amid global uncertainty.

The summit will reaffirm the European Union’s commitment to the region’s membership prospects. Leaders will also urge partners to accelerate essential reforms and meet the commitments required to advance towards accession.

Discussions will cover the region’s gradual integration, particularly through the Western Balkans Growth Plan, and the next steps in its implementation. Leaders will also address shared challenges and ways to strengthen security and resilience amid a more complex geopolitical environment.

The summit forms part of the European Council’s 2024–2029 Strategic Agenda. High-level meetings between the European Union and the Western Balkans have taken place regularly since 2018. The previous summit was held in Tivat on June 5, 2026.

From June 1 to 4, 2026, Costa visited the region and met Western Balkan leaders to discuss enlargement, gradual integration, regional cooperation, security and stability.

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