The President of the European Commission (EC) Ursula von der Leyen said on Tuesday that the next six months would be essential for both the European Union and the Western Balkans countries aspiring to join the bloc, N1 reported.

She added that the EC would draft a new enlargement strategy in the next few weeks.

Von der Leyen warned that if the EU-Western Balkans Summit was to be successful, Brussels had to do its homework.

“The next six months are crucial for the EU – Western Balkans relations. Croatia knows better than others what the power of the Europen perspective means. That's the issue of whether you have a real perspective,” she said.

Croatia's Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said he hoped that the Zagreb Summit would send a message to the partners in the South-Eastern Europe countries which, as he put it, “are in kind of the European entrance hall.”

“If you continue with reforms and meet all the criteria, your European perspective won't be questioned, and you will be welcomed,” he said.  

Belgrade saysit expects Zagreb to support the process of enlargement.

Croatia presides the EU in the first six months of 2020.