(ANSA) - BRUSSELS - The EU strategy for the Western Balkans will be the main focus of the EU Foreign Ministers meeting scheduled to take place in Sofia, Thursday and Friday. In particular, with the candidate countries, they will start talking about cooperation in the security and defence sector, one of the main aims of the EU strategy, presented last week.

The Western Balkans are ''the first priority for Bulgaria's six-month rotating presidency but also for all the institutions of the European Union, and this is the first opportunity we have to discuss the strategy presented last week. We will start working to strengthen the EU membership prospects for the region and we will also star working on the preparation of the summit to be held in Sofia'', said EU High Representative Federica Mogherini arriving at the meeting.

''Tomorrow we will talk with the candidate countries about one of the main tasks of the strategy, namely cooperation on security and defence'', she added. (ANSA).