European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will skip Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina during her upcoming tour of the Balkans, the European Commission (EC) announced on Friday.
“During the tour, President von der Leyen will visit Tirana, Prishtina, Podgorica and Skopje. There, she will meet with presidents and prime ministers and visit projects funded by the European Union,” EC spokesperson Arianna Podesta said.
The visit to the four countries is scheduled to take place from September 30 to October 2.
Von der Leyen has maintained a warm relationship with Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić for years, often addressing him as “dear Aleksandar.”
This approach has been criticized by experts who focus on the Western Balkans.
It had previously been reported that von der Leyen would not visit Serbia during her Balkan tour because of the political and social tensions in the country, while the funeral of Ratko Mladić, who was convicted of war crimes and genocide, had triggered strong reactions within the European Union.
Several members of the European Parliament had also called on von der Leyen not to travel to Belgrade.
With parliamentary and general elections approaching in Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, von der Leyen plans to visit the two countries at a later date, Podesta said.
This will be von der Leyen’s sixth tour of the region, a visit that has become a tradition ahead of the publication of the annual progress reports on EU candidate countries.
“As the President said at the June summit, our Union will not be complete without the Western Balkans. During her discussions with partners, she will address the steps needed on these countries’ path toward the European Union, as well as the gradual integration process supported by the Western Balkans Growth Plan,” spokesperson Podesta said. /RFE/RL/
