The summit takes place six months after the last summit in Brussels, reaffirming the strength of the EU’s relationship with the Western Balkans.

Main points of the agenda

The summit will be chaired by the President of the European Council and chaired by the President of Montenegro. The EU will be represented by the President of the European Council and the President of the European Commission. High Representative Kaja Kallas will also attend.

The theme of the summit is “Shared Prosperity and Stability of the EU and the Western Balkans”. 

Over lunch, leaders will discuss enlargement. It will be an opportunity for the EU to reiterate its full and clear commitment to the EU membership perspective of the Western Balkans.

Leaders are expected to assess the progress made in the gradual integration of the Western Balkans into the EU and how to take it further, particularly through the Growth Plan for the Western Balkans.

They will also examine how to address common challenges and strengthen security and stability, against an increasingly complex geopolitical backdrop.

Gradual Integration and Growth Plan

Launched in 2023, the Growth Plan aims to encourage faster socio-economic convergence with the EU and gradual integration into the EU single market by:

increasing the economic integration of Western Balkan partners into the EU single market

advancing regional economic cooperation through the Regional Common Market

promoting EU-related reforms by providing up to €6 billion for reforms and investments

The EU is the main and most reliable partner of the Western Balkans. It is the region’s main trading partner, investor and donor.

Strengthening security and defense

At a time of increasing geopolitical uncertainty and economic instability, leaders are expected to discuss how to increase cooperation on foreign policy, security and defense issues:

in the areas of security and defence, in particular by strengthening the armed forces of the Western Balkans through the European Peace Mechanism and by increasing cooperation through security and defence partnerships and dialogues.

in building resilience to cyber and other hybrid threats, to combat foreign information manipulation and interference, including the EU Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA), the European Democracy Shield and the Rapid Alert System (RAS) against disinformation.

Between 1 and 4 June 2026, President Costa will meet with regional leaders among the Western Balkans partners.

They will discuss opportunities and challenges related to enlargement, gradual integration, regional cooperation, security and stability.