BRUSSELS – “In South-Eastern European countries, support for EU membership is declining because people think it doesn’t want to accept them, but there are partnership programs through which these Countries can also participate in common topics such as the “green plan”. “and digitalization,” said EU Special Representative for the Western Balkans Miroslav Lajčak in an interview for Hina.
Hina recalled that Serbia, which does not recognize the independence of Kosovo declared unilaterally in 2008, has opened 22 negotiation chapters and closed only two. North Macedonia was first blocked by Greece because of its name, and when it added “North” to its name, it was blocked by France before its local elections, and then by Bulgaria, contesting its national identity and its language. The EU has jointly opened negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania in 2022.
“I don’t want to talk about who is guilty, but there were factors, both on the EU side and on the Balkan side, which lead us to a situation where we are talking about the future of the EU, but without progress ”, Lajčak said.
He added that today, after Russian aggression against Ukraine, the EU and the Western Balkans must take enlargement seriously. “This cannot be achieved if one side takes it seriously and the other does not,” Lajčak said.
Regarding the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Lajčak called the political situation “very complicated”, adding that the main thing is where legitimacy comes from, which should be the difference in responsibility and competence between the state and state level. the entities.
“We see different interpretations in Sarajevo and Banja Luka and many disagreements based on the differences between these interpretations. It is necessary to address the functionality of this state. We also see positive elements, the Council of Ministers was formed very quickly, much faster than during previous elections. It is important that decisions are made by the three constituent nations. Bosnia and Herzegovina must also find a role for non-constituent nations, to ensure that no one is discriminated against on the basis of their ethnicity,” he added.
Commenting on the situation in Montenegro, Lajčak said he expects Podgorica to focus less on itself and more on the European agenda.
“Montenegro remains in the lead, even though the pace of European reforms has slowed considerably. But it is good that the functionality of the Constitutional Court has been restored. I expect the new president and the government to be fully committed to European integration, which is what the majority of residents want. Montenegro has been a factor of stability in the Balkans for many years and therefore I hope that it will continue to play this role,” Lajčak said.