Britain is about to host a summit in support of new countries joining the EU The UK is preparing to host the Western Balkans nations at a summit to discuss its support for their accession […]

The UK is preparing to host the Western Balkans nations at a summit to discuss its support for their accession into the European Union for security and economic reasons despite the fact that Britain is leaving the bloc itself in 2019.

Pro-EU campaigners have compared the situation to a “comedy sketch”.

On 9 and 10 July, Britain will meet with the heads of government in Albania, Bosnia Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, Macedonia and Serbia in London to demonstrate “our longstanding commitment to the region and to European security,” the UK government has said.

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Representatives from Austria, Croatia, France, Germany, Italy and Slovenia have also been invited to the meeting.

Joining the EU

Part of the aim of the summit – the fifth of its kind as part of the Berlin Process – is to support the Western Balkans nations joining the EU.

Joining the EU Albania – official candidate for accession Bosnia Herzegovina – potential candidate Kosovo – potential candidate Montenegro – official candidate for accession Macedonia – official candidate for accession Serbia – official candidate for accession

The summit also aims to increase economic stability, strengthen regional security to tackle common threats and to facilitate political co-operation.

But the UK Government appears to have acknowledged that its own position on EU membership is at odds with its vision for the Western Balkans region.

“The UK wants a strong, stable and prosperous Western Balkans region,” according to the Government. “By hosting the summit in London, we demonstrate our continued interest and involvement in the stability of the region beyond our exit from the EU.”

‘Brexit will not change support’

The Government has previously said it “sees EU membership for the group [the Western Balkans countries] as essential for its vision of a secure and stable region and that Brexit will not change the UK’s support for the process”.

Britain is in the process of negotiating its exit from the bloc with the aim of leaving in March 2019.

The Foreign Affairs Committee is currently carrying out an inquiry into the summit, investigating what the UK is doing to help EU accession and what impact Brexit might have on this.

Conservative MP Tom Tugendhat, chair of the committee, said although Brexit did not mean the UK was bowing out of world affairs, it was unclear “how the UK can support the Western Balkan path to EU membership when our own landscape is changing”.

“This inquiry will consider what the Berlin Process has achieved so far and what can be achieved at the London Summit, and beyond,” he added.

Campaign group Best for Britain, which supports EU membership, said: “It’s like something from a comedy sketch. How can we be leaving the EU while at the same time hailing the benefits of being a member?

The group’s CEO Eloise Todd added: “The truth is we know what the EU can offer us – but this Government doesn’t want to admit it to the British people for fear of upsetting a few ideological extremists in the Tory party. And that’s a real shame: when the Prime Minister of this country is putting party politics over the national interest, we’re in a bad place.”

The i has contacted the Foreign Office for comment.