The leaders of six Western Balkan countries will meet their European Union counterparts in Brussels today to assess their close but complicated relationship.Topics on the agenda include EU membership prospects, the bloc’s sanctions against Russia and economic cooperation.

Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia have ambitions to join the EU, but face lengthy and painstaking accession procedures. Montenegro, considered the lead, kicked off talks in 2012, followed by Serbia in 2014. However, both countries are far from fully aligning their laws and standards with EU norms. Albania and North Macedonia opened accession talks last year, more than a decade after they applied for membership. Bosnia can hope to arrive later this week, when EU leaders could decide at a special summit to open accession talks with the country – along with Ukraine and Moldova. The rapprochement of Kosovo is hindered by the fact that some EU countries have not recognized its independence after the secession of Kosovo from Serbia in 2008.

EU leaders are also expected to increase the bloc’s sanctions against Russia over its war on Ukraine, as Serbia has yet to approve punitive measures against Moscow. Increased tensions between Serbia and Kosovo will also be discussed by the leaders, as well as irregular migration through the region to the EU. In addition to political relations, the leaders will also discuss economic ties and investments in infrastructure such as roads, railways, internet and power grids.

A proposed fund worth up to 6 billion euros ($6.5 billion) is however caught up in an internal EU debate over overhauling the bloc’s common budget.

/k.s/