United Kingdom to Host Western Balkans Summit in October

David Lammy (BETAPHOTO/MILOS MISKOV)

UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy will welcome this autumn the foreign ministers of 15 European countries at a summit organized to foster cooperation and reconciliation in the Western Balkans, drawing on the experience of the peace process in Northern Ireland.

The summit, which will focus on the Western Balkans, described as “a region of essential importance for the security of the United Kingdom,” will begin on Oct. 8 at Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland, as part of a broader series of talks organized by the UK to strengthen resilience, curb illegal migration, and boost economic growth, the Foreign Office announced on Aug. 8.

In addition to the Western Balkans Six (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia), Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Poland, and Slovenia will be also represented at the meeting. Denmark, the current chair of the European Union and the Union itself will be represented, too.

The discussion will focus on promoting peace, stability, and cooperation in the Western Balkans, strengthening Europe’s collective security, and combating organized crime and human trafficking networks. Given the unresolved disputes and rising ethnic tensions in the Western Balkans, which pose a challenge to the region's European aspirations and make it vulnerable to malign influences, Lammy will reflect on the experience gained in the Northern Ireland peace process and share practical examples of the inter-community cohesion that exists there today, the Foreign Office said in its statement.