The EU enlarging to include the Western Balkans is a precondition for a stable, prosperous future of Europe. It wasn’t reasonable to postpone the opening of negotiations with North Macedonia, it was also politically and morally wrong as it undermines EU’s authority, Slovenian President Borut Pahor said Friday.
He addressed a high-level plenary session taking place on the second day of the Prespa Forum Dialogue international conference in Ohrid.
He pledged that as president of Slovenia, which currently holds the EU presidency, and on behalf of the government in Ljubljana he would do everything possible to unblock the processes of North Macedonia and Albania to join the EU.
Pahor announced he will visit Sofia next week together with the prime minister and the foreign minister in an attempt to unblock the EU integration process of North Macedonia and Albania and to be allowed to start negotiating with the bloc.
According to him, EU enlargement in the Western Balkans is a geopolitical issue of highest priority
EU enlargement, Pahor said, would eliminate dangerous and naïve ideas for redrawing borders in the region. “Accelerated EU integration process will significantly strengthen the principle of territorial integrity of the countries and security in the region and also across Europe. If enlargement is terminated, the European project of completely united Europe will remain unfinished,” the Slovenian President said also stressing the importance of intensive cooperation with the United States.
Speaking at the panel, Montenegro’s President Milo Đukanović said that EU’s vague policy towards the Western Balkans causes Euro-enthusiasm to wane, which makes it possible for third parties to penetrate and bad policies in the region to emerge.
To avoid negative phenomena, he said, it is necessary Europe to increase its presence in the Western Balkans. Messages coming from Washington, according to the Montenegrin head of state, are encouraging in wanting to renew Euro-Atlantic ties.
“We have to constantly push the integration process of the Western Balkans forward. There is no dilemma. We have to do the most important part of the job in your front yards. We want to meet the standards and become full-fledged EU members and equal partners,” President Đukanović said.
