The EU integration process is proving to be less predictable. As a result, it shouldn’t be allowed the enlargement vacuum to be filled by third powers, instead there have to be good initiatives for the region. Uncertainty related to EU membership in the countries in the region could cause turmoil and the EU has to find a way to resume the enlargement process, it was concluded Friday at the panel titled “Southeast Europe: Enhancing cooperation and solidarity” at the conference in Athens organized by The Economist.
Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama said the countries in the region don’t want to seek another alternative to EU membership.
“We used to be told that the integration process would push aside Balkan nationalism, but the opposite is happening now – we’re being held hostage by European nationalism. This is sad, but all we can do is continue to move forward because we don’t have other alternatives,” Rama told the panel.
He noted that the EU integration process is becoming less and less predictable.
“But, we have to move forward. I strongly believe that in the meantime we will do our homework at home, implement reforms not only because it is required of us, but for future generations as well. We have to enhance both bilateral and regional cooperation in general,” the PM said.
The Albanian leader stressed that the region has been ushered into a new era of cooperation and connectivity.
“There’s the Berlin Process for example. Lately, I’ve met with PM Zoran Zaev more than with some of my ministers. It’s the same with officials from Serbia. It used to be news, now it’s only the new normal. We have to press ahead with our neighbors, we owe it to our citizens,” PM Rama concluded.
Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti said cooperation between countries in the region and their integration into the EU, which must not be delayed according to him, is the only way for moving forward and providing long-term peace and stability.
Speaking at the event, Croatian former president Kolinda Grabar Kitarović said only her country had joined the bloc 22 years after the Stabilization and Association Process and 18 years after the 2003 Thessaloniki Agenda.
“In the meantime, most of the countries were in a state of uncertainty, which creates dangerous vacuum that might be filled by third powers and it doesn’t mean they’ll do it in the best interest of the region. The only future for the region of Southeast Europe is full integration of the Western Balkans in the EU as a precondition for long-term peace and stability,” she said.
According to Kitarović, the EU has to find a consensus and resume the enlargement process since the Western Balkans is a region in Europe.
“The region has two possibilities – either good things to be made in a short time or the region to fall into turmoil very quickly. The vacuum created related to EU integration should be filled out by good initiatives enabling the region to prosper,” said the former head of state.
Former Greek foreign minister George Katrougkalos noted that history shouldn’t be a prison for the people in the region, it should teach them instead.
“What Zoran Zaev and Alexis Tsipras had achieved with the Prespa Agreement, it required great courage, but the Prespa spirit is very simple – we can solve longstanding conflicts through dialogue based on international law and joint agreements. I hope Belgrade and Pristina will come to an agreement,” he said.
The EU, the Greek diplomat said, has a responsibility toward the candidate countries and the bloc should meet its obligations and respect the hard work done by them. “Europe is facing major challenges not only regarding the Balkans but also on the global stage,” the former minister stated.
We, Katrougkalos said, have political and moral obligation to resume the Thessaloniki Agenda, to go on in the spirit of Prespa in order to make a better future for all of us, our people and our countries.
