European Commission President, José Manuel Barroso, and Enlargement Commissioner, Stefan Fule, are set to visit the Western Balkans this week.

They will meet political leaders, representatives of civil society and university students in the region. Barroso and Fule's trip begins in Zagreb (April 7), continuing in Sarajevo and Podgorica (April 8), and Skopje (April 9).

The aim in Croatia, the first stage of the visit, will be to give a final push to the government as the end of integration talks draws near. Negotiations are due to be complete by June, as part of the six-month Hungarian presidency of the EU.

The President of the European Commission will use his trip to Bosnia to appeal once more for the political stalemate in the country, which is blocking any prospect of European integration, to be overcome.

Podgorica, meanwhile, will be asked to undertake the necessary reforms in view of a future opening of EU access talks, while the Skopje leg of the trip will aim to resolve Macedonia's differences with Athens over the country's name.

It is José Manuel Barroso's first visit to the region since the beginning of his second term in office.