EU chief says enlargement is a top priority
(VOVWORLD) - EU chief Ursula von der Leyen on Wednesday pledged that membership expansion would be high on the Brussels agenda, as she arrived in Albania at the start of a tour of six Balkan nations hoping to join the bloc.
 EU chief Ursula von der Leyen (Photo: Xinhua/VNA) |
Von der Leyen told a joint press conference with Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama that the EU has now all the necessary tools and all the instruments in place.
At the same press conference, the EC chief announced 920 million euros in funding for Albania as part of the EU's Western Balkans Development Program, set to launch in November 2023. The program aims to foster growth and enhance the integration of Western Balkan countries into the EU.
Von der Leyen, on her fourth visit to the region, will move on to North Macedonia on Thursday before taking in the other countries in the region.