During the summit, Cooper emphasized the UK's commitment to stability in the Western Balkans and highlighted Hillsborough Castle’s symbolic importance as a site of peace and reconciliation, referencing historic agreements like the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement and the Dayton Agreement.

Since becoming Foreign Secretary a month prior, Cooper prioritized tackling illegal migration through new agreements with countries such as Iraq, France, and Germany, and increasing staffing to address migration issues.

The UK has implemented a 'one in, one out' deal with France, resulting in 18 removals, as part of ongoing efforts to curb illegal crossings and organized immigration crime.

The Foreign Office is redeploying staff to focus more on negotiations to return migrants without legal right to stay in Britain, intensifying efforts to manage migration.

Yvette Cooper stressed that international cooperation is vital for enhancing security, disrupting organized crime networks involved in people-smuggling, and supporting regional partnerships.

Amid positive developments in Gaza’s peace process, the summit also discussed regional stability, with Cooper and German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul welcoming the first phase of a peace plan.

The summit is part of the Berlin Process, which promotes regional cooperation and European integration of Western Balkans countries, with plans for the UK to host Western Balkans leaders in London on October 22 to further support the region.

Despite efforts, the UK continues to struggle with the record-breaking number of migrants crossing the English Channel, which is projected to reach 34,401 crossings in 2025, threatening to set a new annual record.

The UK government announced a new £10 million investment to combat people-smuggling along the Western Balkans route, a critical transit point for migrants heading to the EU and UK, which saw nearly 22,000 illegal border crossings last year.

In addition, the UK plans to allocate £4 million to enhance border security and law enforcement in Kosovo, while also strengthening cyber defenses against Russian interference aimed at destabilizing the region and fueling ethnic tensions.

The summit focused on boosting cooperation to counter Russian hybrid threats, organized immigration crime, and ethnic tensions in the Western Balkans.

UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper hosted a Western Balkans summit at Hillsborough Castle, bringing together regional leaders from Albania, Serbia, North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and European partners to discuss security, migration, and regional stability.

Additional measures announced at the summit include countering Russian efforts to destabilize the region through cyber defenses and regional stability funding, aiming to prevent escalation of ethnic tensions.