What Did We Hear During Kaja Kallas' Visit to the Western Balkans?

The European Union’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Kaja Kallas, concluded a two-day visit to Albania, Montenegro, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, where she spoke with key government officials about the region's future in the context of European integration.

Bosnia and Herzegovina: Reform as a priority and addressing internal challenges

In Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kallas held talks with political leaders and emphasised that the country’s path to Europe largely depends on internal reforms and resolving long-standing political issues. While the EU has supported Bosnia and Herzegovina in the past, Kallas warned that implementation of the Reform Agenda must be accelerated, particularly in the areas of rule of law, anti-corruption efforts, and economic reform.

She also stated that resolving bilateral disputes and advancing regional cooperation is of key importance. According to her, the EU remains a committed partner, but Balkan countries must prove they are ready for membership through concrete actions. She stressed that no progress can be made without meeting conditions and that while the EU is there to offer support, progress depends on Bosnia and Herzegovina. She also urged the country to find internal political unity and work on reconciliation among different ethnic groups, which is a fundamental prerequisite for national stability.

Montenegro: Stability through NATO and EU membership

Montenegro, the only country in the region that has opened all negotiating chapters with the EU, was the next stop on Kaja Kallas' visit. In her meetings with Montenegrin leaders, Kallas praised the country’s progress but also reminded them of the ongoing challenges. She particularly highlighted the need to continue internal reforms, focusing on the rule of law and fighting corruption, which are key to further advancement.

Kaja Kallas reminded that EU membership must remain a priority, but also that as a NATO member, Montenegro has a responsibility to contribute to regional stabilisation and promote cooperation. Through collaboration with its neighbours and the EU, Montenegro can become a more stable factor in the region, but this requires serious work on strengthening the legal system and improving economic indicators.

"EU and NATO membership is a key objective, but we must continue to implement the necessary reforms," Kallas emphasised, adding that the EU will not hesitate to make further progress conditional.

Although she did not visit Serbia on this occasion, she touched on the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue during a press conference in Montenegro, stating that the EU is "dissecting what’s working and what’s not" in the dialogue, in order to revitalise the normalisation process.

When asked about the stagnation in the dialogue, Kaja Kallas said at the press conference that this month they are "conducting an analysis together with the EU envoy for dialogue, Peter Sorensen," who assumed office in February. Regarding the omission of a visit to Serbia this time, EU spokeswoman Anitta Hipper said the reason lay in the "limited timeframe of the visit."

"The High Representative remains fully committed to the entire region, and future visits to other countries are already being planned. EU support for the stability and European integration of the Western Balkans remains a priority," said Hipper.

Albania: Praise for progress, but also a call for continued efforts

In discussions with Albanian leaders, she praised the progress the country has made in recent years, particularly in the areas of rule of law, anti-corruption, and legal reforms. She described the plan to conclude membership negotiations by 2027 as very ambitious and emphasised that much still needs to be done for Albania to fully meet EU membership standards.

"The EU has offered around 13 million euros to support the preparation of Albania’s Armed Forces. There is no shortcut to EU membership other than proper reform implementation, and reforms are tough, so you have our full support in opening further chapters and meeting comparative standards, especially in the area of rule of law. Albania’s future is in the EU, and that matters," Kallas said.

Progress in the field of regional cooperation is also of utmost importance. Kallas called on the Albanian authorities to make greater efforts in stabilising the Balkans through reconciliation and the resolution of outstanding issues with neighbouring countries.

EU enlargement as a key to Balkan stability

These meetings have clearly demonstrated that the European Union remains committed to the enlargement process, but that reforms, regional cooperation, and the resolution of bilateral disputes are essential for the Western Balkans to move forward, according to experts and observers familiar with political developments in the region.

Through her statements, Kaja Kallas sent a clear message that the future of the Balkans lies within the EU, but that this depends on how the countries in the region approach challenges and meet the standards required for membership. The European Union continues to act as a partner and supporter, but it also expects serious progress and accountability from the Western Balkan countries.

The EU is of vital importance for the Western Balkan countries, which aspire to become full members of the Union. Such messages have been frequently echoed from Brussels. The enlargement process represents one of the EU’s key foreign policy goals, and the support it provides to these countries in terms of economic development, democratisation, the rule of law, and regional stability is essential. It is precisely for this reason that Kaja Kallas’s visit can be seen as a reflection of this commitment and as an incentive for further progress towards EU membership.

The Western Balkan countries are under various levels of pressure, both internal and geopolitical, and the EU plays a significant role in the stabilisation process. The enlargement policy not only allows access to the EU market but is also based on alignment with European standards in the areas of the economy, the rule of law, and human rights.

Andreja Stojkovski, Executive Director of the Prespa Institute, stated that the key message from the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy is that the EU still counts on the membership of Western Balkan countries, but the region must understand that the European Union as we knew it likely no longer exists.

"The European Union as we knew it probably no longer exists, and one could say that this is its final phase. The new logic of how states and their relations operate, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the election of a new president and administration in the United States, as well as relations between major powers and the Union, are already pushing the EU to focus more on its own defence and on functioning as a unified bloc of 27 member states," he told Kosovo Online, adding that we too will likely have to adapt to this next phase and future enlargement.