Britain to host summit encouraging other countries to join the EU just months before Brexit deal is signed

As the date for Brexit draws ever closer, Britain is set to host a summit encouraging six European countries to JOIN the European Union.

Governments of countries from the Western Balkans, including Serbia and Albania, will travel to London in July to discuss their potential involvement in a broader EU, according to the Independent.

The summit, part of the so-called Berlin Process, is being hosted by the UK Government to encourage Albania, Montenegro, Macedonia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Kosovo to join the EU for the sake of their ‘security, stability and prosperity’.

However, critics have accused the Government of having a ‘sense of humour’ for hosting the summit just months before Britain leaves the EU.

Tom Brake, the Liberal Democrats’ Brexit spokesperson, told the Independent: ‘Someone at the Foreign Office must have a sense of humour in organising a conference to promote membership of the EU for the Western Balkan countries.

‘Just as we seem set on leaving the EU, we start advising others to join. Government policy would not look out of place in the theatre of the absurd.’

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A Foreign Office spokesperson said: ‘We remain of the view that the EU accession process is important to delivering security, stability and prosperity in the Western Balkans.’

The countries from the Western Balkans will be joined at the summit by representatives of the governments of EU countries with an interest in the region, including France, Germany and Italy.