It is naive to expect that only the European Union (EU) has a policy of expansion to the Western Balkans, said the Minister of Foreign Affairs in the Government in a technical mandate, Ranko Krivokapić.
On the second day of the Bled Strategic Forum, which gathered 160 panelists from high-level politics, think tanks, free media and the civil sector, he had a working breakfast with the heads of diplomacy of the Western Balkans.
At that meeting, as announced, opinions were exchanged on current developments in the region and the necessity of speeding up the dynamics of negotiations with the EU.
The head of Montenegrin diplomacy also spoke today at the panel entitled "The EU and the Western Balkans: Who is ready?".
Karivokapić said that we have to ask ourselves how many "types" of expansion are active in the region.
"Apart from the one whose gravity, fortunately, is the strongest - the EU, we have at least two more. The war in Ukraine, unfortunately, strengthened two more types of so-called enlargement," he said.
According to him, third powers are using the war to use some Western Balkan countries to be a "knife in the stomach" of the EU and NATO.
"The great Yugoslav writer Ivo Andrić, who is characterized by numerous nationalisms, while he was ambassador to the League of Nations, asserted that Mussolini's, Hitler's and Stalin's systems were direct, aggressive and efficient, while the democracies hesitated and made decisions with difficulty," Krivokapić said.
He assessed that we can find ourselves in a similar problem now if we do not understand the dangers.
"The third type that wakes up in the shadow of the war in Ukraine are big-state projects that use instability, uncertainty and the influence of third powers for their repeatedly failed ill-fated intentions of redrawing the borders of the Serbian and Russian worlds," said Krivokapić.
The EU Special Envoy for the Western Balkans Miroslav Lajčak, the United States Special Envoy for the Western Balkans Gabriel Escobar, the heads of diplomacy of North Macedonia Bujar Osmani, Bisera Turković of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Kosovo Donika Gervala Švarc and High Representative for BiH Kristijan Šmit participated in the panel.
As stated, in a separate meeting with Escobar, the importance of the presence of the USA in the Region and its contribution to solving outstanding problems, as well as new threats looming over the Balkans, was discussed together.
"The special envoy expressed the strong friendship and alliance of the United States of America with Montenegro, with full commitment to preserving its leadership in European integration and ensuring the security guaranteed by the Euro-Atlantic alliance," the statement said.
"It is a pleasure to meet old and trusted friends with whom we have been working for more than two decades to establish democratic postulates in the Balkans, especially in Montenegro. I hope that together we will continue a successful alliance that will ensure peace and stability and fast membership in the European Union for all six countries of the Balkans. Of course, returning Montenegro to the path of stability and leadership in European integration," said Krivokapić after the meeting with Escobar.
Escobar pointed out that Montenegro is a friend and partner for the United States of America.
"We are always looking for opportunities for a deep bilateral relationship and I am glad to see that we are fully aligned in values and vision. Montenegro is a modern European country," he said.
Krivokapić had a separate meeting with the special envoy of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom for the Western Balkans, Stuart Pich.
"Krivokapić emphasized that the engagement of Pič is highly valued in Montenegro and the countries of the Region and that it represents a statement of the United Kingdom's permanent commitment to preserving the stability and security of the Western Balkans," the statement said.
Krivokapić also met in Bled with the head of diplomacy of Portugal, Joao Gomes Cravinha.
"The need for intensifying political contacts and exchange of visits at the highest level, with the aim of further improving the friendly relations between Montenegro and Portugal," was stated in the announcement.
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