Babiš backs EU membership for Montenegro and Albania by 2028

The European Union should admit Montenegro and Albania by 2028, Prime Minister Andrej Babiš said on Friday ahead of a summit of EU and Western Balkan leaders in the Montenegrin coastal city of Tivat.

Babiš said the accession process for Western Balkan countries has taken far too long. The region includes Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Kosovo, North Macedonia and Serbia.

While the EU accelerated enlargement efforts after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, some Balkan leaders remain frustrated by the slow pace of negotiations and fear Ukraine could be prioritised in the accession process.