The President of the European Council, Antonio Costa, will embark on a diplomatic tour of the six Western Balkan countries ahead of the EU–Western Balkans Summit, where he will hold meetings with regional leaders and co-chair the high-level summit on June 5 in Tivat, Montenegro.
As part of this visit, Costa will stop in Tirana on June 2, where he is scheduled to meet with President Bajram Begajand Prime Minister Edi Rama. Following his meeting with the Albanian Prime Minister, Costa and Rama are expected to hold a joint press conference.
The European Council has published the agenda for Costa’s Western Balkans tour through an announcement on its official website.
According to the statement, the tour will begin on June 1 in Sarajevo, where Costa will meet with the members of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina—Denis Bećirović, Željka Cvijanović, and Željko Komšić—as well as the Chairwoman of the Council of Ministers, Borjana Krišto.
On June 2, he will be in Tirana for meetings with Albania’s top state officials and with students at the College of Europe’s Tirana Campus. Later that day, Costa will travel to Skopje, where he will meet with Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski.
On June 3, the President of the European Council will visit Pristina, where he will meet with Acting President Albulena Haxhiu, Prime Minister Albin Kurti, and leaders of opposition parties.
A day later, on June 4, Costa will be in Belgrade for meetings with President Aleksandar Vučić, Speaker of Parliament Ana Brnabić, and representatives of civil society.
The tour will conclude in Montenegro. President Jakov Milatović will host regional leaders at a ceremonial dinner in Tivat marking the 20th anniversary of the restoration of Montenegro’s independence.
On June 5, Costa will meet with President Milatović and Prime Minister Milojko Spajić before co-chairing the EU–Western Balkans Summit.
The central theme of the summit will be “The Shared Prosperity and Stability of the European Union and the Western Balkans,” the European Council announced.
President Costa will hold press conferences in every city he visits.
Indicative Schedule (All Times Are Subject to Change)
Monday, June 1, 2026
- 16:00 – Press statement with the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Sarajevo)
Tuesday, June 2, 2026
- 12:15 – Press conference with Prime Minister Edi Rama (Tirana)
- 18:30 – Press conference with Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski (Skopje)
Wednesday, June 3, 2026
- 16:00 – Press briefing (Pristina)
Thursday, June 4, 2026
- 09:45 – Press conference with President Aleksandar Vučić (Belgrade)
Friday, June 5, 2026
- Time to be confirmed – Media opportunity ahead of the EU–Western Balkans Summit
- 15:30 – Press conference following the EU–Western Balkans Summit with President Ursula von der Leyen and President Jakov Milatović (Tivat)
