The EU has granted Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia the candidate status, but the process of actual accession is still far away.
“I have assured the president [of Slovenia] today that this issue is still relevant for us and that we stand shoulder to shoulder with Slovenia in supporting the Western Balkans countries,” Duda said.
The president also recalled that Poland will take over the presidency of the EU Council in the first half of 2025 and said that the Polish government has already set priorities for its leadership term in the body.
“One of the priorities is... the future accession of Ukraine, Moldova, as well as the countries of the Western Balkans in the first place,” he emphasized.
“The countries of the Western Balkans have been making efforts to meet the conditions necessary to join the EU for years,” the Polish head of state pointed out.
EU Council presidency
“The presidency is responsible for driving forward the Council’s work on EU legislation, ensuring the continuity of the EU agenda, orderly legislative processes and cooperation among member states. To do this, the presidency must act as an honest and neutral broker,” the council’s
official website states.
The website adds that the presidency has two main tasks “Planning and chairing meetings in the Council and its preparatory bodies,” and “Representing the Council in relations with the other EU institutions.”
