European Union and Western Balkan officials will discuss issues of mutual interest and regional cooperation but not enlargement according to the preparatory documents for the summit.

A background brief said that the agenda of the EU-Western Balkans summit does not include the enlargement process.

It said that leaders from EU member states and Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Kosovo* will have an opportunity to “reaffirm the European perspective of the Western Balkans, which is of mutual strategic interest and remains a shared strategic choice”.

The background brief said that the summit will focus on developing cooperation to foster the region’s socio-economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Leaders will discuss the implementation of the Economic and Investment Plan and the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans, demonstrating the EU’s unparalleled support to the region to generate more sustainable, green, digital and people-focused growth. The summit will also aim to further deepen cooperation on political and security matters of mutual concerns and to discuss how to strengthen regional cooperation,” it said.