Brdo-Brijuni Summit in Skopje: EU integration and regional stabilization main topics at leaders' meeting

In Skopje, as part of the Brdo-Brijuni Summit, a plenary meeting of leaders from participating countries has begun. The summit hosts are President of North Macedonia Stevo Pendarovski, his Croatian counterpart Zoran Milanovic, and Slovenian President Natasa Pirc Musar.

The meeting is attended by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, Albanian President Bajram Begaj, Jakov Milatovic from Montenegro, Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani, and members of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Zeljka Cvijanovic, Denis Becirovic, and Zeljko Komsic.

Before the meeting, Pendarovski, Milanovic, and Pirc Musar held a ceremonial welcome for the regional leaders.

The focus of the summit is on European integration and stabilizing the situation in the Western Balkans through strengthening regional cooperation and resolving open issues.

According to the summit's agenda, following the conclusion of the plenary meeting, Pendarovski, Milanovic, and Pirc Musar will hold a joint press conference.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has counted the Skopje Summit among the most important meetings he will participate in in the coming period. As he said, he aims to represent Serbia in a dignified and appropriate manner and requests that the international community assess the situation in Kosovo based on arguments.

Leaders of the countries participating in the Brdo-Brijuni Process meet at least once a year, and the summit serves as a forum for one of the region's fundamental issues – European integration. Additionally, it fosters high-level political dialogue, builds trust among countries, intensifies dialogue between Western Balkan countries and the EU, and strengthens regional cooperation in various areas, particularly economic development.

At last year's summit in Bled, a joint conclusion was adopted with the main message of reaffirming support for expediting the European path of the Western Balkans.

In previous years, the summit of regional leaders was attended by special guests, including former German Chancellor Angela Merkel, former Austrian President Heinz Fischer, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, and the current President of the United States, at the time serving as Vice President, Joseph Biden. However, for the past two years, the summit has been held without foreign officials and representatives of the international community. The Brdo-Brijuni Process was initiated by Slovenia and Croatia when the prime ministers of the two countries, Borut Pahor and Jadranka Kosor, wished to set an example for Western Balkan leaders and encourage the resolution of bilateral issues and an accelerated European path after signing an arbitration agreement.