TIRANA, April 8 – The EU-Western Balkans Summit in Zagreb has been postponed indefinitely in order to limit the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. Although it was scheduled to take place on May 7, a new date in June will be decided in agreement with the President of the European Council if the coronavirus situation allows it, according to the Croatian Presidency of the Council of the European Union’s announcement. Moreover, all Croatian Presidency related informal meetings scheduled to take place in Croatia until 15 May were postponed.
The Western Balkans Summit is aimed at gathering the leaders of the EU and the region for the first time since the Sofia Summit in May 2018 and is supposed to be the event to kick off regular meetings between the Western Balkans and the Union at least once per year.
On March 24, the Croation Presidency achieved one of its main goals when Albania and North Macedonia were given the green light to the opening of accession talks with the EU.
Germany will be the next EU Member State to take over the Presidency of the Council in July and is supposed to convene the first intergovernmental conference. Until then, Albania has to fulfill several conditions including the adoption of the electoral reform, the establishment of the Constitutional and Supreme Court, the establishment of specialized anti-corruption bodies of the SPAK and the BKH, as well as the fight against crime and corruption.
