Western Balkans leaders assembled Tuesday at an informal lunch hosted by High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the European Commission Josep Borrell in New York.

The meeting was attended by Montenegrin Prime Minister Dritan Abazovic, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani, chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina Sefik Dzaferovic and Prime Minister of North Macedonia Dimitar Kovacevski.

The discussion focused on the global and regional impact of Russia’s illegal and unprovoked war against Ukraine, said a press release of the European Union External Action (EEAS), adding that High Representative Borrell and the Western Balkans leaders discussed how to jointly address the damaging consequences of this war on food and energy prices and on stability and security in Europe and globally.

Borrell highlighted the support that the European Union (EU) is providing to the Western Balkans to enhance energy security and to address hybrid threats, including cyber and foreign information manipulation and interference, said the press release.

“The EU and the Western Balkans will continue to stand together in facing the challenges that Russia’s unprovoked war on Ukraine imposes globally. The EU fully associates the Western Balkans with its initiatives to mitigate the impacts of the war,” said EEAS.

The meeting was held Tuesday in the margins of the United National General Assembly, said the EEAS, adding that such informal gatherings take place twice a year in Brussels and New York, and serve as an informal opportunity to exchange views about the challenges in the region and about the region’s European future.