A meeting from the South-East European Cooperation Process (SEECP) took place in Thessaloniki, Greece, with the participation of the Foreign Ministers of Bulgaria, Greece, Albania and North Macedonia.

According to Greece’s Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis the forum is a good opportunity to demonstrate the importance of the countries of the Western Balkans and of the aspiration to renew the efforts to help them land in the safe harbour of Europe.

North Macedonia stated that its Foreign Minister Bujar Osmani would be holding talks in Thessaloniki with his Bulgarian counterpart Teodora Genchovska. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and the President of the European Council Charles Michel will also be meeting with the participants in the Balkan meeting.

In an article for Politico regarding the forum, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis writes: “…my message today is clear: In accordance with set criteria, let us offer the integration of all of the Western Balkans into the EU by 2033 — an ambitious but achievable timeline. This is long overdue. And the first step must be a decision in two weeks’ time in Brussels to unblock the path of North Macedonia and Albania.”