SARAJEVO, June 2 (Balkan View) – European Council President António Costa on Monday launched a six-country tour of the Western Balkans ahead of this week’s EU-Western Balkans Summit in Montenegro, in what EU officials describe as a strong signal that enlargement has returned to the centre of the bloc’s strategic agenda.
Costa’s visit begins in Bosnia and Herzegovina and will continue through Albania, North Macedonia, Kosovo, Serbia and Montenegro before concluding at the summit in Tivat on June 5.
“My second Western Balkans tour sends a clear signal: the EU’s commitment to the region is real; as real as the opportunity for enlargement. The momentum is there. Now is the time to deliver,” Costa said ahead of the trip.
The summit in Montenegro will gather leaders from all six Western Balkan partners alongside senior EU officials, including European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. The meeting is expected to focus on enlargement, gradual integration into EU structures, regional cooperation, economic development and security.
Enlargement back on the agenda
After years in which EU enlargement largely stagnated, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has revived the debate over expanding the bloc and strengthening its geopolitical influence in Southeast Europe.
EU officials increasingly describe enlargement as a strategic investment rather than simply a technical accession process.
“This is an investment in peace, stability and security across Europe,” Costa said during his first stop in Sarajevo.
While all Western Balkan countries remain at different stages of the accession process, Montenegro and Albania are currently considered the most advanced candidates.
Several European officials have recently suggested that Montenegro could become the next EU member state before the end of the decade, making it the frontrunner among Western Balkan candidates.
Bosnia remains the most complex case
Bosnia and Herzegovina remains among the slowest-moving candidates due to persistent political divisions and institutional paralysis.
Brussels continues to express concern over tensions involving the Bosnian Serb leadership, whose calls for greater autonomy and challenges to state institutions have raised fears of renewed instability.
Costa is expected to encourage political leaders in Sarajevo to accelerate reforms linked to the rule of law, judicial independence and public administration.
Ukraine reshaping enlargement debate
The renewed focus on the Western Balkans comes as the EU simultaneously faces pressure to advance membership talks with Ukraine and Moldova.
Diplomats acknowledge privately that any acceleration of Ukraine’s path toward membership could have implications for long-waiting Western Balkan candidates, many of which have spent more than two decades in the accession process.
Former European Commission Vice-President Věra Jourová argued that the EU now needs enlargement as much as candidate countries need membership.
“We need them to join more than they need Europe,” Jourová said, citing growing geopolitical competition and security pressures facing the continent.
Security concerns dominate discussions
Costa’s regional tour also takes place amid heightened security concerns across Europe following a Russian drone strike that hit a residential building in Romania last week, injuring civilians and prompting NATO allies to call for stronger air defence measures on the alliance’s eastern flank.
EU leaders increasingly view Western Balkan integration as part of a broader effort to strengthen Europe’s security architecture and reduce vulnerabilities to external influence from Russia and China.
Friday’s summit in Tivat is expected to reaffirm the EU’s commitment to eventual membership for all Western Balkan partners, while pressing regional governments to accelerate reforms required for accession.
For many in the region, however, the key question remains whether renewed political momentum in Brussels will finally translate into concrete progress after years of delays.