European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen arrived in Tirana on Tuesday evening to attend the European Political Community (EPC) Summit, the first such gathering to be held in the Western Balkans, bringing together leaders from 47 European countries.
“The presence of the EPC in Tirana is a powerful symbol. Our European family of values extends far beyond the EU’s borders. We share the same continent and a common future,” von der Leyen wrote on social media platform X, posting a photo with regional leaders, including Albanian President Bajram Begaj, Prime Minister Edi Rama, European Council President António Costa, Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić and North Macedonia’s President Hristijan Mickoski.
📍In Tirana for the meeting of the European Political Community.
It is the first one in the Western Balkans.
What a powerful symbol.
Our European family of values extends well beyond the border of the European Union.
We share a continent. And a common future. pic.twitter.com/mf7EbAwp9L
— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen)
May 15, 2025
Held under the motto “A New Europe in a New World,” the sixth EPC summit opened on Wednesday with plenary sessions and thematic roundtables focused on four key topics: security and democratic resilience, economic competitiveness, migration and youth, and Europe’s vision and instruments for future action.
Albanian Prime Minister Rama is scheduled to hold bilateral meetings with several participants, including NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, von der Leyen, Monaco’s Prince Albert II, Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
Alongside the summit’s working agenda, a series of cultural events and official ceremonies are taking place, with the central venue located in Skanderbeg Square. There, a temporary pavilion dubbed the “House of Europe” has been set up and decorated with drawings from Albanian children.
“With the House of Europe – where all of Europe is gathered today – the eyes of the world are on Tirana,” Rama wrote on social media.
The summit forms part of broader efforts to strengthen political dialogue between EU member states and European partners, against the backdrop of ongoing geopolitical challenges. Albania’s role as host underscores its pro-European orientation and its standing as a constructive actor in regional stability.