EU to reassert influence over Balkans ------------------------------------------ EU leaders, worried about Chinese and Russian influence in the region, are focusing attention on six Balkan hopefuls aspiring to join the bloc ------------------------------------------ EU has provided €3.3bn to help combat Covid-19 crisis and says this outweighs medical supplies sent to Serbia and Bosnia by Beijing and Moscow in early phase of epidemic European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has warned that if EU does not do more, “others will” ------------------------------------------ EU members RUSSIA ------------------------------------------ HUN. CROATIA BOSNIA- HERZ. SERBIA ROMANIA BULGARIA NORTH MACEDONIA MONTENEGRO KOSOVO ALBANIA GREECE Candidate Potential candidate 100km 60 miles ------------------------------------------ MONTENEGRO Population* 0.62 million GDP* $5.50 billion ------------------------------------------ SERBIA Population 6.98 million GDP $50.59 billion ------------------------------------------ Montenegro and Serbia are already in negotiations to join EU, with earliest possible entry slated for 2025 ------------------------------------------ NORTH MACEDONIA Population 2.08 million GDP $12.67 billion ------------------------------------------ ALBANIA Population 2.86 million GDP $15.10 billion ------------------------------------------ North Macedonia and Albania received EU approval to start membership negotiations in Mar 2020, but still await formal start date ------------------------------------------ BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA Population 3.32 million GDP $20.16 billion ------------------------------------------ KOSOVO Population 1.84 million GDP $7.93 billion ------------------------------------------ Requested to join EU in 2016 – application pending approval ------------------------------------------ Needs to mend relations with Serbia through EU-mediated talks ------------------------------------------ Sources: Reuters, European Commission, World Bank *All figures 2018 © GRAPHIC NEWS Picture: Getty Images