PM Mitsotakis to welcome Western Balkans leaders to Maximos Mansion on Monday

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ initiative to invite on Monday 21 August at 20:15 the Western Balkans and EU member state leaders at the Maximos Mansion for a dinner-informal discussion on the enlargement and the European future of the region underlines Greece’s role as pillar of stability, peace and energy security in the Balkans and in southestern Europe, government sources said.

The president of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and the President of the European Council Charles Michel have responded positively to Mitsotakis’ invitation something that is both substantial and symbolic.

Symbolic because on June 21 was the 20 anniversary from the “Declaration of Thessaloniki” of the EU-Western Balkans Summit that essentially paved the way for the integration of many countries of the area to EU, the same sources said.

The President of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic, of Montenegro Jakov Milatovic, the prime minister of North Macedonia Dimitar Kovacheski, the prime minister of Kosovo Albin Kurti and the president of the Ministers Council of Bosnia and Herzegovina Borjana Kristo will arrive in Athens to take part in the informal dinner on Monday at 20:15.
Albania which was also invited at President’s level will not be respresented as well as the leader of Slovenia who could not attend the meeting.

In the informal dinner will also participate the leaders of the countries of the region that are EU members: The prime minister of Bulgaria Nikolai Denkov, of Croatia Andrej Plenkovic and of Romania Ion-Marcel Ciolacu.

Prime Minister’s schedule for Monday and Tuesday is the following:

Monday 21 August
11:00 Bilateral meeting with the president of the President of the Ministers Council of Bosnia and Herzegovina Borjana Kristo
13:00 Bilateral meeting with the Prime Minister of Romania Ion-Marcel Ciolacu
15:00 Bilateral meeting with the Prime Minister of Croatia Andrej Plenković
20:00 Informal dinner with the leaders of the European institutions on the European future in the region on the occasion of the 20-years anniversary from the EU-Western Balkans Summit and the “Declaration of Thessaloniki”

Tuesday 22 August
09:00 Bilateral meeting with the President of Moldova Maia Sandu
10:00 Bilateral meeting with the President of Montenegro Jakov Milatović
10:45 Bilateral meeting with the Prime Minister of Kosovo Albin Kurti

Source: ANA-MPA