Greece to propose 2033 as deadline for Western Balkans’ EU accession

Greece will recommend setting 2033 as a deadline for completing the accession process for the Western Balkans when EU leaders meet on Thursday at the European Council, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said as he arrived for the meeting in Brussels.

“Greece stands on the side of the Western Balkans, as the largest economy in the region, as a country that has reaped the benefits of joining the European family. It will support the Western Balkans in their quest to become members of the European Union,” he told journalists.

“We know that for these countries, the process is difficult…However, my view is that it is very important to offer a specific milestone in order for this process to be completed. My proposal to the European Council is for this milestone to be in 2033, thirty years after the Thessaloniki Summit, so that the Western Balkans and their citizens know that at the end of this long process they can really look forward to becoming members of the European family.”