The EU must not forget about the Balkans because of the crisis in Ukraine, says the head of Slovak diplomacy, Miroslav Lajčak.
Lajčak opened the GLOBSEK international security conference in Bratislava with a call for the European Union to reconsider its policy towards Russia and the Eastern Partnership, but added that this should not distract attention from the needs of the Balkans.
"One thing is clear. In the XNUMXst century, we cannot allow the violation of international law, the redrawing of borders, the imposition of the Constitution, either through various referendums or by means of weapons, to pass without consequences. Ukraine should be a wake-up call for the whole of Europe," Lajcak said.
Opening the 9th GLOBSEK from May 14 to 16 in the Slovak capital, the Slovak minister warned, however, that the EU must give diplomacy a chance and expressed full support for the new OSCE plan to de-escalate the crisis.
The new instability that Ukraine brought to the EU's neighborhood and the need to reconsider what kind of relations the Union will have with Russia, since it is not possible to continue business as before, should not, according to the head of Slovak diplomacy, swallow all the EU's attention.
"Ukraine must not swallow all our attention. There is the Balkans, which still needs a lot. Bosnia and Herzegovina deserves attention," said Lajčak, and he also warned that the EU must not disappoint those countries of the Eastern Partnership because of Russia and Ukraine. advanced towards the EU.
"They deserve to be rewarded. We must not disappoint them," said Lajcak and cited Moldova as an example.
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