The EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the European Commission, Josep Borrell, will travel to Albania on 15-16 March, and to North Macedonia on 16-17 March. These visits will be an opportunity to review EU-Albania and EU-North Macedonia bilateral relations under their respective Stabilisation and Association Agreements, and to discuss recent developments in both countries and in the Western Balkans. It is the first time ever the respective Stabilisation and Association Councils are taking place in Tirana and Skopje.

Starting with Albania on 15 March, High Representative Borrell will meet with Prime Minister Edi Rama before chairing the 12^th EU-Albania Stabilisation and Association Council in Tirana on 16 March. Albania will be represented by Prime Minister Edi Rama. The European Commission will be represented by Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement, Oliver Várhelyi. After the Council, High Representative Borrell, Prime Minister Rama, and Commissioner Várhelyi will hold a joint press conference at around 12:00, which will be broadcast live on EBS.

In the afternoon, HR/VP Borrell will take part in the inauguration of the Venetian Tower in Durres, the restoration of which has been funded by the EU, and hold an exchange with Youth representatives.

High Representative Borrell will then travel to North Macedonia. On 16 March, he will meet with Prime Minister Dimitar Kovacevski, before leading the EU delegation at the 16^th EU-North Macedonia Stabilisation and Association Council on Friday, 17 March. North Macedonia will chair the Council this time and will be represented by Prime Minister Kovacevski. Commissioner Várhelyi will represent the European Commission. The Council will be followed by a joint press conference at around 11:30 that will be broadcast live on EBS.

During his visit, HR/VP Borrell will hold a number of bilateral meetings, including with President Stevo Pendarovski, Minister of Defence, Slavjanka Petrovska and the Speaker, Deputy Speakers, Political Party Coordinators & Chairs of the National Council for European Integration - Committee on European Affairs of the Parliament of North Macedonia.

Press engagements throughout the visits will be broadcast on EBS, Audio-visual coverage of the mission will be also available on EBS, and remarks of the press points will be published on the EEAS website.

Follow also @JosepBorrellF and @eu_eeas for further information and updates.