European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, concluded a multi-day visit to the Western Balkans this week, reaffirming the bloc’s commitment to the region’s integration and describing enlargement as the EU’s top geopolitical priority.
Kallas visited Kosovo, Serbia, and North Macedonia, holding meetings with government officials, civil society, and youth organizations to discuss each country’s path toward EU membership.
“The Western Balkans are of strategic importance for the EU. Enlargement in this region is our most important geopolitical project and is also a personal priority for me,” Kallas said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
In Serbia, Kallas urged political leaders in Belgrade to implement necessary reforms and define the country’s strategic alignment with the EU. “This is best done by restoring trust and adhering to democratic principles,” she said. She also met with youth activists and civil society representatives, noting their calls for “justice and accountability” as essential to Serbia’s democratic progress.
In Kosovo, where political tensions have delayed government formation, Kallas called on all parties to overcome the deadlock. “Leaders must put aside divisions and prioritize Kosovo’s future,” she stated.
During her stop in North Macedonia, Kallas highlighted the country’s pioneering role in regional cooperation with the EU. “North Macedonia was the first in the region to sign a Security and Defence Partnership with the EU, and the first to benefit from our Growth Plan for the Western Balkans,” she said, adding that the country “belongs to our European family.”
Kallas’s visit comes amid renewed EU efforts to accelerate accession talks with candidate countries in the Western Balkans, as geopolitical tensions in Europe intensify.