Athens, Greece —A gathering of Balkan leaders, including the presence of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, took place in the Greek capital, Athens under the hosting of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. The informal dinner brought together officials from nine Balkan nations alongside European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council head Charles Michel. The meeting aimed to discuss the region’s European prospects.
The event marked the 20th anniversary of a summit between the European Union and western Balkan countries, with a dinner held in the Greek city of Thessaloniki, where Balkan states expressed their aspirations to join the European bloc.
Notable attendees included the presidents of Serbia, Montenegro, and Moldova, the prime ministers of North Macedonia, Kosovo, Bulgaria, Croatia, and Romania, as well as the head of the council of ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Greek Prime Minister Mitsotakis also held individual meetings with several of these leaders during the course of Monday and Tuesday.
The absence of Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama was noticeable due to the ongoing tensions between Greece and Albania. The strained relationship has resulted from the arrest of ethnic Greek minority leader Fredi Beleri on vote-buying charges ahead of local elections in May. Despite his pre-trial detention, Beleri was elected mayor of the Albanian town of Himara. Greece contends that his detention is politically motivated and has called for his release.
Addressing Rama’s absence, Greek government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis stated, “I believe we all understand that it was not possible to invite Mr. Rama to such an important initiative.” Marinakis emphasized the importance of Albania respecting European rules and justice in its pursuit of a European path. While Albanian President Bajram Begaj received an invitation, he declined to attend the event.
