Another EU TV show, this time replacing the headquarters in Zagreb

The place of Zagreb being replaced by the now standard teleconference, the long-awaited EU-Western Balkans summit took place on May 6, eliciting few comments outside Brussels or the Balkan region.

The COVID-19 crisis inevitably overshadowed what had been the main intention of the organizers of the Summit, a reaffirmation of the so-called "European perspective" of the Western Balkans. With the key strategic decisions on the opening of EU membership negotiations for Albania and North Macedonia taken by the European Council in March, there were no not much to say or do about it.

Most of the 20 points in the Zagreb declaration covered the COVID crisis and EU financial support for regional recovery efforts.

https://www.consilium.europa.eu/media/43776/zagreb-declaration-en-06052020.pdf

After the meeting, analysts in the region noted that references to EU enlargement were difficult to detect, and some wondered if the term was slowly becoming "politically incorrect". However, most observers in the Western Balkans are convinced that the summit was held by teleconference more or less on the original date and was not postponed as it seemed very likely in early April .

COVID and recovery media

The EU has mobilized more than € 3.3 billion for the Western Balkans to support the health sector, support economic and social recovery and aid through of the European Investment Bank, as well as aid to microfinance.

EU support for the crisis is detailed in the following info graph:

At the meeting, the EU also highlighted cooperation and coordination in the form of joint acquisitions and the unlimited flow of personal protective equipment, ensuring the rapid movement of essential goods through "greenways" connecting the EU and the Balkans. Western countries, the EU supply of test equipment to verify the proper functioning of coronavirus tests in the Western Balkans, as well as close cooperation with the relevant health agencies.

In a next step, the European Commission has been invited to draw up a solid economic and investment plan for the region with the aim of stimulating economies while improving their competitiveness, in order to better connect them within the region and with the EU.

Impressive remote assistance

The President of the European Council, Charles Michel, chaired the meeting with the remote assistance of the heads of state or government of the EU member states.

It also included leaders from the six EU partners in the Western Balkans: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, the Republic of North Macedonia and Kosovo.

The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, Andrej Plenkovic, the Croatian Prime Minister, who currently holds the Presidency of the European Council, the High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep, also participated in teletime. Borrell, David Sassoli, President of the European Parliament and representatives of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the World Bank, the European Investment Bank and the Regional Cooperation Council.