The Foreign Ministers of Austria, Slovenia, Slovakia, Hungary and the Czech Republic have asked the European Union’s Foreign Minister to urgently put the Western Balkans on the agenda at the next meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council, calling it region as of particular importance.
In a letter to EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, the two countries said that given the war in Ukraine and the impact it could have on EU countries, the Foreign Affairs Council should discuss it in April. for the strategy in the Western Balkans.
The ministers said that “just a few weeks after our last discussion on the Western Balkans, the geopolitical situation has undergone a major shift due to Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified aggression against Ukraine.”
“In this context, the Western Balkans is of particular importance, given its key strategic position as a region surrounded by EU member states,” the letter said.
Top diplomats from the five EU countries praised Borrell’s March visit to Skopje, Tirana and Sarajevo, which they said demonstrated the European bloc’s strong commitment to the Western Balkans.
“The EU must do everything possible to prevent the detrimental effects of the attack on Ukraine in the Western Balkans. “It’s even more urgent than ever to give a boost to the region’s EU integration process,” the letter said.
Specifically, the ministers called for speeding up the visa liberalization process for Kosovo, launching membership negotiations with Albania and northern Macedonia, granting Bosnia and Herzegovina candidate status, and speeding up the negotiation process with Montenegro and Serbia.
“We need to have a new perspective on issues such as the speedy start of membership negotiations with Albania and Northern Macedonia, finding a way to accelerate the ongoing accession negotiations with Montenegro and Serbia, “We are advancing with visa liberalization for Kosovo and supporting the consolidation of the unity of Bosnia and Herzegovina to receive the candidate status”, wrote the five EU Foreign Ministers.
The letter also called for increased practical cooperation with the Balkan states, as well as assistance to these countries in order to cope with the economic consequences caused by Russian aggression, in particular in raising the prices of food and other products.
The letter to Borrell – who chairs the Foreign Affairs Council – was signed by Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg, Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto, Slovak Foreign Minister Ivan Korcok and Slovenian Anze Logar.
The next meeting of EU Foreign Ministers will be held on April 11 in Luxembourg. It is still unclear whether the topic of the Western Balkans will be put on the agenda, as according to diplomatic sources, the current situation in Ukraine and the alleged crimes of Russian forces require the ministers to focus on Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.
But more and more EU states and members of the European Parliament are demanding that the Western Balkans be in focus because of the risk of Russian influence in the region and the possibility of escalating tensions.
