The "Little Schengen" initiative and others like it need to be carefully considered, because they can weaken the focus of the region on the European Union and all the reforms that must be implemented, said the president of the Croatian Civic Initiative, Adrijan Vuksanović.
The President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, and the Prime Ministers of Albania and North Macedonia, Edi Rama and Zoran Zaev, signed on October 10 in Novi Sad a declaration of intentions to establish "Little Schengen", in order to ensure the implementation of four internationally accepted key freedoms of movement - people, goods , services and capital.
In an interview with the MINA agency, Vuksanović said that the enthusiasm in the countries of the Western Balkans regarding membership in the European Union (EU) has experienced a series of challenges and blows, but that support for membership in the Union has not weakened because of this.
As he stated, both citizens and politicians are aware that membership in the EU is the best future for each of the countries of the Western Balkans.
"It is very important that it remains so, because true commitment to European integration also means true reform processes and the "healing" of our region in every sense of the word," said Vuksanović, who previously headed the parliamentary Committee for European Integration.
He believes that this is precisely why all initiatives such as "Little Schengen" should be considered very carefully.
"Because they can weaken our focus on the EU and all the reforms we have to implement, which lead us in its direction and for which we need undiminished attention and energy," said Vuksanović.
As he stated, the "Little Schengen" initiative represents a kind of attempt by a part of the countries of the Western Balkans to further improve mutual relations and regional cooperation through the four basic freedoms of movement, on which the EU rests.
"Even though its main motto is legitimate and understandable, I think that the mechanism through which it is trying to be put into practice is not the most appropriate for the moment in which the region finds itself," Vuksanović said.
As he added, it must not be forgotten that the countries of the Western Balkans are signatories to the CEFTA agreement, as well as that they are in a certain phase of negotiations on EU accession.
"Regardless of whether they have formally started negotiations or not, all countries are a central element of EU enlargement policy," Vuksanović pointed out.
He believes that the creation of parallel initiatives and formats based on the same principles as those that already exist will not necessarily further improve mutual cooperation in the Western Balkans.
"This can only divert the focus from deepening and strengthening cooperation within the initiatives we already have and, finally, from the ultimate goal of all our countries - membership in the EU," Vuksanović assessed.
As he stated, Montenegro, as the European Commission and all European officials have assessed for years, is extremely committed to regional cooperation and is recording very good and concrete results in that field.
"Therefore, I believe that the position taken by the government in relation to the "Little Schengen" initiative is evidence of a wise policy, which is primarily guided by the long-term interests and well-being of Montenegro and the Western Balkans - and this is certainly the true progress of the region and its accession to the European community people," added Vuksanović.
As he stated, this initiative is not new, because we have been hearing about it, under a different name, for several years.
Vuksanović added that the "Little Schengen" initiative was born in the context of the story of the European integration of the region, specifically the call of the Union to improve cooperation between the countries of the Western Balkans, solve all open issues and develop the region economically before joining the EU.
"Although it may not be directly related to the European Council's decision not to open negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania yet, I still think that the act of signing the declaration and formally launching "Little Schengen" is a consequence of the current moment in EU enlargement policy and internal priorities and open issues in to the Union itself," said Vuksanović.
When asked whether this initiative acts as a kind of compromise or "consolation" due to the pause in enlargement, which EU officials are increasingly talking about, Vuksanović replied that in the last month there has been a great debate about whether there is a pause in enlargement.
"Although the messages from Brussels have often been discouraging lately, Montenegro, like all the countries of the region, is very aware of its key problems and challenges that it has to face and should work on them, regardless of whether there is pause in the expansion or not," Vuksanović pointed out.
He emphasized that all these things, in the end, are done not for the EU membership itself, but for the overall quality of life.
"That's why I support all quality initiatives that will help us persevere in this task. Whether "Little Schengen" is one of them should be evaluated very carefully," stated Vuksanović.
Asked if the postponement of the negotiations on the accession of North Macedonia and Albania can be characterized as a temporary stoppage in the EU's enlargement policy, he replied that it can be debated whether and to what extent the enlargement policy is at a standstill.
"What is certain is that it is important to reach a consensus at the level of the Union regarding the future principles and directions of that policy, so that both us candidates and potential candidates receive clear messages and signals regarding our European future, which has no alternative and is not brought in the question", emphasized Vuksanović.
He stated that there are certain ideas about reforms related to the enlargement policy, but he believes that they are a consequence of current open issues within the EU itself and its priorities and functioning in the coming period.
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