EU sees realistic chances for Western Balkan nations to join

SOFIA, Bulgaria – The European Union’s foreign policy chief says that all countries in the Western Balkans have realistic chances of joining the world’s largest trading club by 2025.

Federica Mogherini said at a briefing in Sofia that a recently adopted EU strategy addresses the entire region and “does not create different boxes or categories” among the regional candidates.

The strategy says Serbia and Montenegro can join by 2025 if they meet the EU’s conditions, but Mogherini said that’s “a realistic possible perspective” for them all.

The Western Balkans countries not in the EU are Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo, Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro.

Mogherini spoke Friday at the end of an informal meeting of EU foreign ministers and their counterparts from candidate countries in Bulgaria, which currently holds the Union’s rotating six-month presidency.