President von der Leyen in the Western Balkans to discuss EU support to deal with the energy crisis

Source: European Commission Spokesperson’s Service

Russia’s energy blackmail and manipulation of the markets is not sparing the Western Balkans. The EU is determined to support our partners in coping with high energy prices and improving their
energy security in the long term. This is the context of President von der Leyen‘s visit to the Western Balkans this week. Tomorrow, the President will be in Skopje, in the
Republic of North Macedonia, where she will have meetings with President Stavo Pendarovski and Prime Minister Dimitar Kovačevski. A press conference is scheduled at +/-19:15 (local time). On
Thursday morning, President von der Leyen will travel to Pristina, in Kosovo, where she will meet with President Vjosa Osmani-Sadriu and Prime Minister Albin Kurti. A press
conference will take place at +/-10:00 (local time). In the afternoon, the President will travel to Tirana, in Albania, where she will meet with President Bajram Begaj and Prime Minister Edi Rama.
A press conference will take place at +/-16:45 (local time). On Friday morning, she will travel to Sarajevo, in Bosnia and Herzegovina. There, the President will meet with the newly elected members
of the country’s Presidency, as well as the elected members of the Parliamentary Assembly and selected representatives of society. In the afternoon, President von der Leyen will
travel to Belgrade, in Serbia, where she will meet President Aleksandar Vučić and Prime Minister Ana Brnabić. She will also visit the Gas Interconnector Serbia-Bulgaria in the village of Jelašnica,
together with President Vučić. A press conference will follow at +/- 15:00 (local time). Lastly, on Saturday, the President will be in Podgorica, in Montenegro, where she will meet with President
Milo Đukanović and Prime Minister Dritan Abazović. She will visit the project ‘Trans-Balkan Electricity Corridor: Grid Section in Montenegro’. A press conference will take place at +/- 11:00
(local time).