Yesterday evening, president of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker co-hosted a dinner with President Tusk and the leaders of Western Balkan countries of Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.
Participants underlined the need to avoid a humanitarian crisis developing in the Western Balkans, and discussed the need to avoid unilateral measures. President Juncker reminded participants of the agreement reached by the Leaders of the Western Balkan countries when they met in October last year at the Western Balkans Route Leaders’ Meeting, during which they agreed to improve cooperation and step up consultation between the countries along the route.
Ahead of the European Council today, President Juncker will also participate in the European People’s Party Summit with Presidents Tusk and Schulz, as well as Heads of State and Government, including Chancellor Merkel, Prime Minister of Bulgaria Borissov, President of Romania Iohannis, Taoiseach Enda Kenny, Hungarian Prime Minister Orbán and Prime Minister of Spain Rajoy.
On the agenda will be the preparation of the European Council, and President Juncker will remind participants of the recent measures taken by the European Commission to deal with the refugee crisis, and will inform participants of the meetings over the recent days, including yesterday’s dinner and the first meeting of the Facility for Refugees in Turkey steering committee, which also took place yesterday.Ahead of the European Council during his press point with President Schulz this morning, President Juncker recalled that the European Council has already agreed on measures to deal with the refugee crisis, including redistribution and relocation, adding that “Member States must make good on what they agreed”.
