EU’s Marta Kos: ‘The Balkans are important’ in key Munich talks

EU Commissioner Marta Kos met with Western Balkan leaders at the Munich Security Conference, driving home one point: The region is vital to Europe’s future.

Kos shared highlights of the talks on X (formerly Twitter), posting images from the meeting and calling for a stronger regional voice in EU affairs.

"Good conversation with Ambassador Ischinger and Western Balkan leaders on how they can shape our shared European future. We all need to be louder about why the Balkans matter to the EU," she wrote.

With EU expansion a hot topic, this meeting couldn’t have come at a bigger moment. The Western Balkans—Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia—are all in different stages of EU accession, pushing to secure their place in the bloc.

The Munich Security Conference, a global hotspot for policy and strategy talks, set the stage for Kos’ message: The Balkans must not be sidelined.

As Europe navigates growing geopolitical tensions, Kos’ call to action keeps the Western Balkans firmly in the conversation—and on the EU’s agenda.