Czechia’s PM attending EU-Western Balkans summit in Tirana

Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala is attending an EU-Western Balkan countries summit in Tirana, Albania, this Tuesday. Topics on the agenda range from tackling together the consequences Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, intensifying political and policy engagement, reinforcing security and building resilience against foreign interference, as well as addressing the challenges posed by migration, the fight against terrorism and organised crime.

Ahead of his flight to Tirana on Tuesday, Mr Fiala spoke about a joint EU and Western Balkan platform for purchasing gas, compressed gas and hydrogen that, he said, should lead to lower prices and greater ease of access to energy. The Czech prime minister also stated that, due to the increased use of the Western Balkan migrant route, the protection of the EU’s Schengen Area border should be moved further to the south. Czechia, he said, also considers it important to speed up the alignment of visa policies between the EU and Western Balkan states.

The Tirana meeting is the first-ever summit between EU and Western Balkan leaders to take place in the Western Balkan region.