When you thoroughly analyze the situation in the European Union (EU), it acts like a team without a coach, where players often do not have clear responsibilities, and sometimes not everyone is committed to the interests of their team, in this case a unified Europe, said the president of the Civic Movement (GP) URA and the former Prime Minister of Montenegro, Dritan Abazović.
The URA Press Office announced that Abazović gave a lecture to students at Harvard's Davis Center, which deals with the politics of Russia, Southeast Europe and Central Asia.
Abazović spoke about the revitalization of the concept of deglobalization and the new geopolitical discourse.
Focusing on the role of small states in the entire process, he also addressed issues related to the future of the EU.
"We in Montenegro still see the EU as the only hope that can make the entire Western Balkan region safe and progressive. However, when you thoroughly analyze the situation in the EU, it acts like a team without a coach, where players often do not have clear responsibilities, and sometimes not everyone is committed to the interests of their team, in this case a unified Europe," Abazović pointed out.
He added that "in the context of increasingly pronounced deglobalization, it is of utmost importance for small countries, like Montenegro, to be part of a wider group, that is, to be in the club of democratic countries that will encourage our development but also act positively towards correcting numerous mistakes from the past."
He also referred to Russia's aggression against Ukraine, as well as the impact of that war on the Western Balkans region.
"That conflict reflected the strength of a small state like Montenegro. At one point, our country had the most refugees from Ukraine per capita in all of Europe. If the world allows international law to be trivialized, and this is currently happening in many places around the world, especially in the Middle East, it is clear that we are threatened with anarchy on a larger scale," said Abazović.
He pointed out that the United States of America (USA) is Montenegro's most important foreign partner and that he expects strong engagement from the new administration in resolving open issues in the region.
"During the conversation, students and professors emphasized their special interest in relations between Montenegro and the Republic of Turkey, the fight against transnational crime, as well as the vision of a new approach to politics through regional connectivity and cooperation. After the lecture, Abazović was a guest of the famous professor and writer Serhiy Plohi at the Ukrainian Research Institute, whose research focus is precisely the issue of Ukraine and Russia," the GP URA statement reads.
Bonus video:
