Central Europe endorses western Balkans’ EU membership Four post-Communist central European countries forming the so-called Visegrad Group (V4) endorse the EU membership of western Balkan countries. At a summit in Prague which holds the rotating V4 presidency, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia said they wanted the EU to start accession talks with North Macedonia and Albania this year. The V4 countries see western Balkans as crucial for the security of Europe, also because they can help curb the inflow of migrants from the Middle East into Europe, which they oppose. The V4 prime ministers met their counterparts from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, and the Prague ambassador of Kosovo which announced it was pulling out of the summit Wednesday over remarks made by Czech President Milos Zeman. During a visit to Belgrade, Zeman said Tuesday he liked Serbia and did not like Kosovo, and on Wednesday he said he would ask Czech government to rethink its 2008 acknowledgment of Kosovo as an independent country. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES