Over 40 European leaders are arriving in Albania today and tomorrow for the sixth summit of the European Political Community (EPC), hosted for the first time in the Western Balkans.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is expected to arrive Friday morning for both the summit and a separate official visit—the first by a British leader to Albania. He will be received in a formal ceremony by Albanian President Bajram Begaj.
Also expected today is European Council President António Costa, who will co-chair the summit alongside Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama.
Launched in 2022 by French President Emmanuel Macron, the EPC serves as a political dialogue platform for EU and non-EU countries alike. Unlike the EU or NATO, the forum is non-binding and produces no formal declarations, treaties, or legislative commitments.
Some critics see the EPC as a way to delay formal enlargement by offering candidate countries—such as those in the Western Balkans, Ukraine, Moldova, and Georgia—a parallel space without full EU integration.
