The participants of the summit meeting on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of Slovenia's membership in the EU agreed today in Brda near Kranj that the expansion of the EU to the countries of the Western Balkans is in its strategic as well as security interest.
"Enlargement is important... Enlargement means great transformational power. We are the presidents of the countries that support the entry of the Western Balkan countries into the EU," said Slovenian President Nataša Pirc Musar, who hosted the presidents of Croatia, Italy, Austria and Hungary in Brdo near Kranje.
She added that "Slovenia will continue to provide aid to those countries," Hina reported.
Croatian President Zoran Milanović said that "it's not all about fulfilling the criteria", but "unfortunately there is a lot and too much in politics", which is why countries like Albania, North Macedonia and Bosnia and Herzegovina "did not open a single chapter".
"There is also Serbia, which must definitely decide where it belongs politically, value-wise and structurally. However, all those countries combined have a nominal GDP lower than Croatia and Slovenia combined. So, in the economic sense, it is a small challenge and a small headache for someone who would wanted to find a solution. But we can't blame China or Russia for that. Someone stopped it," said Milanović.
Milanović said that the Union must find "some way of reason to settle for something that is good for everyone".
"To try to bring into our society those who are close to us, namely the countries of the Western Balkans, and those who are not, that is already something that, I'm afraid, exceeds our possibilities because the EU is not the USA, it is not Beijing," he added. .
Austrian President Aleksandar van der Bellen recalled the adoption of "historic decisions on the start of negotiations with Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ukraine and Moldova".
"Austria supports those decisions. We have our own clear strategic interest, which is the further expansion of the EU. First of all, I am thinking of the countries of the Western Balkans, which are our neighbors. It is also our security interest that they enter the Union. I think we are on the right track." , said the Austrian president.
President of Italy Sergio Mattarella reminded that Slovenia became a member of the EU together with nine other countries in 2004.
"If we want to continue to build peace, we need to finish the European project. Today it is more important than ever. Especially when we are talking about the countries of the Western Balkans, which have been waiting for entry for 20 years. Of course, we do not forget Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia," said Matarella , adding that he is happy that the Slovak president is "standing up for the full implementation of 'Schengen'".
Pirc Musar previously called on the governments of all countries neighboring Slovenia to "abolish border controls" together with the Slovenian government.
"The Schengen regime is a great achievement in the EU and here, in this region, this openness of borders is one of the main advantages," she pointed out.
Milanović also said that "he is in favor of open borders between Croatia and Slovenia and all other participants and members of the "Schengen".
"However, 'Schengen' is a very delicate structure and it is necessary for the wind to blow just a little and for everyone to catch a cold and that's exactly what happened. Slovenia reacted by closing the borders. Honestly, I understand, I'm not condemning, but we have to go back to the factory settings of Schengen, which is to travel freely," said Milanović.
In December, Slovenia extended border controls with Croatia and Hungary by six months.
Hungarian President Tamas Suljoko also said that his country is committed to the expansion of the Union and that he wants to "facilitate as many accession negotiations as possible, as soon as possible," Hina reported.
The Slovenian agency STA reminds that today's meeting on Brdo near Kranje is the first meeting of the presidents of all countries neighboring Slovenia since June 24, 2011, when the then president Danilo Tirk gathered them on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of Slovenia's independence.
After the citizens' confirmation in the referendum, Slovenia entered the Union in the "great enlargement" on May 1, 2004, along with nine other countries: Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta and Cyprus.
Bonus video:
