Welcome messages or ultimatums on the menu: What was offered to regional leaders at the Brussels dinner?

Commitment to EU enlargement, internal reforms, and progress in dialogue on key issues, such as the Kosovo issue, are necessary for the Balkans to advance on their path to the EU. This was the message conveyed during meetings in Brussels, organized yesterday by the new European administration for Western Balkan leaders. From Tirana to Belgrade, Kosovo Online's interlocutors assessed that the EU demonstrated that the Balkans have not been forgotten, despite Ukraine being a priority. However, the messages sent from Brussels have been interpreted differently.

Wrriten by: Petar Rosic

"The future of the Western Balkans is in the EU. Let us work to make that happen. That is the message I conveyed, along with Kaja Kallas and Marta Kos, to the Western Balkan leaders during dinner," wrote the new President of the European Council, António Costa, on social media after the dinner he hosted for regional leaders last night.

The dinner was preceded by meetings, during which Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic expressed his concerns about the latest escalation in security issues in Kosovo and called on the EU and its member states for increased engagement and support.

He also reported having a good conversation with Marta Kos, EU Commissioner for Enlargement and Neighborhood Policy, where he conveyed Serbia's desire to seize the new momentum in the EU enlargement process.

The most challenging discussions were with Kaja Kallas, the new EU foreign policy chief, who insisted on introducing sanctions against Russia, continuing dialogue with Kosovo, showing greater readiness for compromises with Pristina, and resolving the Banjska incident.

"For us, it is important to meet the conditions set before us, but if we imposed sanctions on Russia, all doors would be open, and if we recognized an independent Kosovo, everything would be fine—but we are not interested in that," Vucic said after the meetings.

He also stated that the recent incident on the Ibar-Lepenac canal was a topic of discussion. Serbia, he emphasized, has no problem accepting the results of an investigation and stressed that whoever was responsible acted without serving the interests of Serbia, regardless of their nationality.

On the other hand, Kosovo's Prime Minister Albin Kurti expressed concerns in Brussels about "continued intimidation and threats against Kosovo" and accused Serbia of violating agreements.

Summing up the messages from Brussels, Miloš Pavkovic from the Center for European Policy told Kosovo Online that the meeting with Western Balkan leaders was primarily organized to show the new EU administration's interest in collaborating with the region and pursuing enlargement.

"The idea was to open a new chapter and start talks with Western Balkan leaders. The key takeaway is that the EU is interested in enlargement and that the new administration will work on this. However, there were skeptical messages from Belgrade regarding foreign policy and resolving the Kosovo issue. We also saw a certain degree of negativity from Serbia's president during the visit to Brussels," Pavkovic noted, adding that the Balkans remain a priority for the new EU administration, despite the war in Ukraine.

He considered it positive for Serbia that the EU focused on investigating the Ibar-Lepenac incident in Zubin Potok, even though Pristina immediately pointed fingers at Belgrade to swiftly gain international support.

"No one accused Belgrade directly; they focused solely on the investigation and its results, which is good news for Serbia. It is bad news for Pristina, which aimed to quickly blame Belgrade and gain international support, but they did not succeed," said Pavkovic.

Regarding North Macedonia, Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski stated that the government remains focused on reforms and is prepared to discuss all principled issues for the state and its citizens but will not accept ultimatums.

"We discussed everything we have faced as challenges in the past, the sacrifices made in the name of European values, while confirming that we will not accept ultimatums. We are ready to negotiate as much as necessary to navigate the accession process and become an EU member state," Mickoski said.

Simonida Kacarska, Director of the European Policy Institute in Skopje, told Kosovo Online that constitutional amendments are a prerequisite, but EU Commissioner Marta Kos must also demonstrate commitment to enlargement-related topics.

Discussing the priorities of the new EU administration, she stated that while Ukraine remains a key focus, the meetings proved that the Western Balkans are not forgotten.

"The first working day of the new European Commissioner Marta Kos, along with the Council President and High Representative Kaja Kallas, was in Kyiv. This clearly shows that Ukraine remains central to enlargement efforts," Kacarska said.

However, the Western Balkans, she emphasized, are currently a "lower priority for the EU."

"Maybe calling it a 'second-tier' priority isn’t appropriate, but the Western Balkans are undoubtedly a lower priority due to Ukraine’s security situation," Kacarska said, adding that the Brussels meetings nonetheless indicated the region has not been overlooked.

A week before the Brussels meetings, Marta Kos mentioned the possibility of several countries signing accession agreements with the EU in the coming years, highlighting Albania and Montenegro as the frontrunners in the process, though this remains uncertain.

Political analyst Ben Andoni from Tirana told Kosovo Online that the meetings with the new EU leadership allowed Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama to understand their stance on the region and provided him an opportunity to test his influence both internationally and domestically.

Andoni noted that the meetings were crucial for Rama to acquaint himself with the new EU leaders and understand their perspectives.

"They also allowed him to test his strength in dealing with these institutions. Naturally, Rama’s role is to demonstrate that his government has been diligently preparing for the initial stages of accession negotiations. Albania is expected to open another group of chapters this month," Andoni said.