The European Union’s foreign policy chief was forced to call off her planned itinerary in Budva, Kotor, and Tivat, electing to work from home on the eve of crucial enlargement talks.
The European Union’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, has unexpectedly canceled her highly anticipated state visit to Montenegro after falling ill, her office confirmed on Thursday evening.
According to a close aide who spoke to local media outlets, Kallas’s sudden medical condition completely disrupted her scheduled arrival on June 4, 2026.
“High Representative Kallas became ill and was unable to travel today,” the aide stated in an official briefing. “The High Representative deeply regrets being unable to participate in the Summit. She is currently working from home and is expected to return to her office within a few days.”
Disrupted Itinerary: Youth Forums and Working Dinners
Kallas’s sudden cancellation forced a rapid rearrangement of several key diplomatic events in Montenegro that were meant to showcase the EU’s soft-power engagement with regional youth.
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Canceled Itinerary: Kaja Kallas's Montenegro Schedule │
├───────────────────────┬────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ LOCATION │ INTENDED DIPLOMATIC ENGAGEMENT │
├───────────────────────┼────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Budva │ To host the high-level Youth Policy Dialogue │
│ (June 4 - Afternoon) │ and open the Western Balkans Youth Forum. │
├───────────────────────┼────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Kotor │ An exclusive working dinner hosted by │
│ (June 4 - Evening) │ Montenegrin President Jakov Milatović. │
├───────────────────────┼────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Tivat │ Plenary session of the high-stakes EU-Western │
│ (June 5 - Full Day) │ Balkans Summit alongside global leaders. │
└───────────────────────┴────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
The High Representative was originally scheduled to open the Western Balkans Youth Forum in Budva alongside Montenegrin Prime Minister Milojko Spajić, engaging with 25 selected young leaders from across the EU and the Balkans on topics ranging from peace reconciliation to countering foreign disinformation.
Tivat Summit Forces Readjustment
The most significant impact of her absence will be felt tomorrow, June 5, at the centerpiece EU-Western Balkans Summit in Tivat. The summit, hosted by President Milatović and chaired by European Council President António Costa, is the most high-profile enlargement gathering in years.
While Kallas’s sudden illness deprives the meeting of its top foreign policy architect, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, French President Emmanuel Macron, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz are already on the ground to push forward a radical new “gradual integration” package for candidate states. European External Action Service (EEAS) senior diplomats will step in to manage Kallas’s scheduled bilateral briefs, ensuring that the bloc’s focus on anchoring the region firmly within the Euro-Atlantic orbit proceeds without a hitch.
