Greek diplomacy hosts working breakfast on EU enlargement in Western Balkans

An unofficial working breakfast of EU foreign ministers organised by Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias started in Brussels on Monday. The Greek foreign minister took the initiave on the sidelines of the EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting, to discuss the enlargement of the Western Balkans.
The breakfast was attended by the foreign ministers of 20 EU member-states, of North Macedonia, Nikola Dimitrov, and the acting foreign minister of Albania, Gent Cakaj.
The big turnout indicates the strong interest for EU enlargement in the Western Balkans but also recognition of Greece’s role in the region, Greek sources said.
The aim of the initiative is to provide an opportunity for a more fruitful, and informal, exchange of views among the member-states on how the debate on enlargement should proceed in the wake of European Council’s decision in October, as well as the French proposals regarding the methology of enlargement.
Participating EU foreign ministers included those of France, Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, Portugal, Cyprus, Sweden, Bulgaria, Poland, Slovakia, Romania, Croatia, Ireland and Slovenia while the European Commission was represented by the Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Olivér Várhelyi and the Secretary General of the EU diplomatic service, Helga Schmid.