EU summit in Montenegro drives Ukraine, Moldova and Western Balkans enlargement push

Leaders of the European Union gathered in Tivat, Montenegro for the EU‑Western Balkans summit, reaffirming a "total and unequivocal" commitment to enlargement. The meeting highlighted the forthcoming opening of accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova, following Hungary’s decision to lift its blockade. It also signalled fresh momentum for the Western Balkan candidates—Albania, Bosnia‑Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia—through concrete tools such as expanded mobility programmes, administrative cooperation, the DiscoverEU scheme for young people, and plans to integrate the region into the EU’s "Roam Like at Home" area. The European Commission announced a training programme for up to a hundred public‑administration officials from the Western Balkans and extended EU-funded initiatives to bolster reforms and connectivity. While officials stressed that accession remains a long‑term process requiring sustained reforms and political stability, the summit marked a notable step toward making the enlargement agenda more tangible for citizens and businesses across the region.