The Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez, at the end of the month will make a tour in the Western Balkans that will include visits to Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia and Albania. The tournament, which will take place between July 29 and August 1, is expected to be his last international activity before the summer break.
On June 26, during a meeting of European Union leaders in Brussels, Sánchez chose to "reactivate, revive and revitalize the enlargement process" for the Western Balkan countries.
Support on the road to the EU
Sánchez has emphasized the importance of Spain's relations with the countries of the Western Balkans and has held meetings with most of its leaders to further address their expectations for membership in the European Union.
EU and Western Balkan heads of state and government met last month in Brussels ahead of the latest European summit and discussed, among other things, EU membership aspirations.
The speed with which Ukraine and Moldova gained the status of candidate countries is in contrast to the blocking of the integration of the Balkan countries, a situation that has lasted for years.
This led some Balkan leaders to express their disappointment and warn the EU that it will lose credibility in the region.
Sánchez expressed his support for the EU path of the Balkan countries.
"When it finally becomes possible, Spain will be in favor of starting this debate," he said at a press conference after the summit between the EU and the Western Balkans.