EU Commission president in Athens to attend EU enlargement talks dinner

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen uploaded a message on social media from Athens focusing on European enlargement on Monday ahead of the dinner hosted by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in Athens on the issue.

“We need to bring our friends, the aspiring members of the EU much closer to us and much faster,” said von der Leyen, adding that she is “glad to be in Athens to discuss the European perspective of our neighbors and partners in the East and the Western Balkans.”

“We will keep bringing down barriers between our regions,” she concluded.

The Greek premier is scheduled to host an informal dinner joined by leaders from the Western Balkans and EU member states. The gathering will revolve around matters concerning regional enlargement and the European trajectory of the area, coinciding with the 20th anniversary of the EU-Western Balkans Summit and the Thessaloniki Declaration.

The European Commission President and President of the European Council Charles Michel will also be in attendance.