European Council President António Costa is set to hold a series of high-profile meetings on Tuesday aimed at shoring up the European Union’s influence in its eastern and southeastern neighbourhood, as enlargement policy moves back to the top of the bloc’s agenda.
According to the official weekly schedule published by the Consilium, Costa will meet Moldovan President Maia Sandu, North Macedonian Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski, and Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić on November 4, alongside delivering a keynote speech at the Euronews EU Enlargement Summit in Brussels.
The tightly packed day reflects the EU’s renewed focus on integrating the Western Balkans and strengthening ties with Eastern Partnership states amid geopolitical uncertainty and growing regional competition for influence.
Costa’s meeting with Sandu comes as Moldova accelerates reforms ahead of the expected start of EU accession talks later this year. Brussels has repeatedly highlighted Chişinău’s progress in judicial and anti-corruption reforms while cautioning against backsliding under pressure from Russian disinformation and energy dependence.
Talks with Mickoski will likely focus on North Macedonia’s stalled accession process, still hindered by disputes over constitutional amendments tied to the so-called “French proposal.” Costa is expected to reiterate the EU’s readiness to advance enlargement once Skopje meets outstanding conditions, while encouraging regional cooperation under the EU-Western Balkans framework.
The later meeting with Vučić is seen as a key moment to gauge Serbia’s stance on alignment with EU foreign policy, particularly regarding relations with Russia and normalization with Kosovo. EU officials have grown increasingly vocal in urging Belgrade to match the bloc’s sanctions policy and to recommit to dialogue with Pristina.
Analysts say the sequence of meetings underscores a coordinated diplomatic push by Brussels to maintain engagement with candidate and potential candidate countries amid fears that fatigue, domestic politics, and external pressures could slow the momentum of enlargement.
The European Council is due to revisit enlargement progress reports at its December 2025 summit, when leaders are expected to debate timelines for opening or advancing accession negotiations with Moldova, Ukraine, and several Western Balkan states.