Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister Maxime Prévot (Les Engagés) will visit five countries in the Western Balkans next week to support their prospects of joining the European Union.
Prévot will begin his trip on Monday in Montenegro before travelling to Serbia, North Macedonia, Kosovo, and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
“The Western Balkans are not at Europe’s gates; they are part of Europe. Their security is our security, their stability is our stability,” Prévot said. He stressed the need for a credible integration perspective, adding that “some of these countries have been waiting for more than twenty years,” but must also show courage in implementing necessary reforms. He noted concerns about hybrid threats and disinformation campaigns from Russia, particularly during elections, aimed at swaying public opinion in Moscow’s favour.
Montenegro, which uses the euro as currency, is the most advanced candidate for EU membership and hopes to join by 2028. Prévot’s agenda includes meetings with President Jakov Milatovic, Prime Minister Milojko Spajic, Foreign Affairs Minister Ervin Ibrahimovic, and European Affairs Minister Maida Gorcevic. He will also visit Lustica Bay, a project by the Brussels-based construction group Besix near the Bay of Kotor.
In Serbia, the second stop, he will meet President Aleksandar Vucic and Foreign Affairs Minister Marko Duric. Belgrade received a critical report from EU institutions last year. Prévot will also visit the Belgian ICT company Metech.
North Macedonia, the third destination, is being urged to accelerate reforms, as its EU accession process has seen little progress over the past 20 years. Prévot will hold talks with President Gordana Siljanovska‑Davkova, Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski, Vice Prime Minister for Good Governance Arbei Fetia, and Foreign Affairs Minister Timco Mucunski.
In Kosovo, Prévot will advocate for full compliance with the 2023 Ohrid Agreement. His schedule includes meetings with acting President Albulena Haxhiu, Prime Minister Albin Kurti, and Foreign Minister Glauk Konjufca, as well as a visit to five Belgian soldiers serving in the NATO-led KFOR mission.
Bosnia and Herzegovina will be the final stop. Prévot will meet with the country’s presidency, Council of Ministers Chairwoman Borjana Kristo, and the international High Representative Christian Schmidt. He is also set to meet the commander of EUFOR Althea, a peacekeeping mission overseeing adherence to the Dayton Agreement that ended the Bosnian War in 1995. Additionally, Prévot will visit the Srebrenica memorial site, which commemorates the 1995 massacre of more than 8,000 Muslim men and boys by Bosnian Serb forces led by General Ratko Mladic.
