The new tensions in Kosovo, after the armed conflict in the village of Banjska, are not in favor of the candidate countries for EU membership and should encourage the Union to urgently take a more serious approach to enlargement, according to "Vijesti" interlocutors.
President of the European Movement in Serbia Jelica Minic warns that the problems in Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro, to which Serbia is actively contributing, have robbed Montenegro of its image as a leader in European integration.
"Today, it can be heard from numerous diplomatic sources that Albania, which does not carry the burden of the Yugoslav wars, is seen as one of the countries that has prospects for the fastest way to the EU. At the same time, her policy in this direction is unequivocal, the support of the citizens is plebiscite, so to speak, and the foreign policy position is constructive," Minić told "Vijesta".
He reminds that Albania hosted the EU-Western Balkans summit last year, will host the Berlin Process summit on October 16, chairs the UN Security Council, has no risky open problems with its neighbors and has high motivation and accelerated social and economic transformation, despite the numerous problems that draws from the past.
"Vijesti" announced yesterday that several foreign diplomats believe that Montenegro has the best chance of becoming the next EU member in a few years. They cite the geopolitical situation due to the war in Ukraine, the granting of EU candidate status to that country and Moldova, fear for the security of the Western Balkans and fear of the increased influence of third parties, especially Russia, as well as the size of the Montenegrin economy as important reasons for this unique chance of Montenegro. which does not threaten any member of the EU, small population, membership in NATO, complete compliance with the EU's foreign and security policy, great support of citizens for membership, and some of them even the use of the euro...
The last enlargement of the EU was ten years ago, when Croatia became a member.
Senior Analyst for the Western Balkans at the European Stability Initiative (ESI) Adnan Ćerimagić believes that the EU should offer Serbia and Kosovo a clear path to membership, in order to stop this extremely dangerous development, that is, to avoid a scenario similar to the one in Northern Ireland and Belfast in the north of Kosovo and elsewhere in the region.
In an armed conflict in Banjska on September 24, a Kosovo policeman and three attackers were killed. Responsibility for the attack was claimed by the vice-president of the Serbian List Milan Radoičić, while Kosovo accused Serbia of supporting the armed group.
"I hope that the edge we have once again reached as a region will encourage the EU to urgently take a more serious approach to enlargement. Montenegro would then be the first in line to profit from such a more serious approach to expansion," said Ćerimagić to "Vijesta".
Analyst from Skopje Siniša Pekevski believes that the EU is not yet ready for enlargement and there will be no new members by 2030.
"Regardless of the leadership in integration, Montenegro has a lot of challenges that must be solved, and I think that the rule of law and the high rate of corruption is something that must be quickly fixed," Pekevski told "Vijesta".
He says that the focus of Montenegro should be on Montenegro and the improvement of the economic situation and the rule of law, and this implies that there is no political influence on the selection of judges, prosecutors, and the police, and that the political crisis is overcome, that the country sails into calmer waters and has a government that will bring long-term solutions.
EU Special Envoy for Dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina Miroslav Lajcak he said at the 2BS forum on Friday in Budva that the European future of the entire region depends on the normalization of relations between Belgrade and Pristina.
"The EU wants to show that we are equally committed to the Balkans, but we need good examples and positive, successful stories from the Balkans," said Lajčak.
Montenegro is small, and the aspirations of Serbia and Russia are big
Minic reminds that the tensions in Kosovo, which escalated two weeks ago, have seriously disturbed the entire region, where tensions inevitably spill over and reminds that for certain leaders, institutions and groups of citizens, the war of the XNUMXs is not over yet and that the political positions in the country and policies towards neighbors are based on reclamation and territorial aspirations.
"It certainly slows down the process of European integration throughout the region and Montenegro, despite the very high support of citizens for joining the EU of 75 percent, is practically stopped on that path. Who is responsible for that? "Montenegro is small, and aspirations from Serbia and Russia to control internal and foreign political processes are big," said Minic.
Ćerimagić believes that the tensions in Kosovo are the result of the complete collapse and lack of progress in the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, which has been conducted under the auspices of the EU since 2011.
"In the years when this dialogue produced results and was successful, the EU had a clear path and goals for both countries within the framework of EU integration. Serbia became a candidate and opened negotiations, and Kosovo received the Stabilization and Association Agreement. "Since the EU de facto stopped the enlargement process, which happened in 2016 at the latest, we have witnessed the weakening of the EU's influence on the parties in the dialogue, and recently the return of violence in Kosovo," he said.
According to him, in order to stop the cycle of conflict, and return Kosovo and Serbia to the negotiating table, the EU needs to have an answer to a specific question: how important and relevant is the promise of European integration to the daily life of people and the economy in North Mitrovica, Zvečan or Leposavic ?
"What is the European vision for Mitrovica? At a time when Serbia is stuck in the accession process, and Kosovo cannot even expect that its application for EU membership will be accepted, the lack of answers to these questions fatally weakens the EU, and as we can see, favors the destabilization of Kosovo, Serbia and the region", he warned. he.
There is a lot of non-paper, a serious policy is needed
Ćerimagić believes that there are many non-papers, proposals, ideas and statements, but only with the concrete self-commitment of the EU and all its members, the region will believe that the EU is really serious this time.
"And only with a serious policy and approach by 2030 can war and conflicts be made unthinkable in this region, in the way it was done elsewhere in the EU," he said.
Siniša Pekevski assessed that the EU and the USA must exert a strong influence on the Prime Minister of Kosovo Aljbina Kurti.
"The Community of Serbian Municipalities (Community of Serbian Municipalities) must be formed as soon as possible in order to de-escalate the situation and reduce tension. The EU and the US must influence Kosovo to fulfill those items of the agreement it signed, without delay," he said.
The nationalist charge suits both Vucic and Kurti
When asked whether the situation in Kosovo can calm down by 2030, when a new enlargement of the EU is expected, which is the proposal in the Austrian and French-German non-paper, Jelica Minić answers that hypothetically - it can, but with some other people who should have good will and sincere willingness to seek solutions.
"Unfortunately, one gets the impression that the status quo suits both the president of Serbia (Aleksandar Vučić) and the prime minister of Kosovo (Aljbin Kurti), because the nationalist charge, which is constantly at a high level in both societies, enables them to have a stable position in preserving power," she said. .
As she said, there are no sharper and more skillful measures by the EU and the US in resolving this deeply frozen conflict, which gives other actors a wide field for action.
"That's how our part of the Balkans, after almost half a century of peace and prosperity, in the last three and a half decades has returned to history like a chess board," she concluded.
Pekevski: First reforms within the EU, then enlargement
Siniša Pekevski believes that the EU has shown many times that it does not fulfill its promises and it will not be the last time that it does not fulfill its promises related to enlargement.
"Membership in the EU before 2030, before the reform in the EU itself, is not possible and that is clear to everyone. The public should not be misled that EU membership will come quickly, via the fast lane. We need to see how the EU has positioned itself towards North Macedonia and it will be clear how sincere the commissioners and officials are towards the citizens of the Western Balkans," he said.
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