Austria calls for more speed in the accession of the Western Balkans to the EU
Austria insists that accession talks with the six West Kan countries die much faster. “If the Europeans die when countries like Spain, Portugal and Greece join the EU,” Austria’s Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg told “Welt” (Tuesday edition). “We finally need more speed with the accession of the Western Balkans to the EU, because the aim is to secure Europe in this region.”
EU flags, via dts news agency
Schallenberg also warned that powers like China, Russia or Turkey would increase their influence in the Balkans if the Europeans would hesitate too long. “There is no vacuum in politics,” said the minister. He adds: “We have to get rid of the fact that the accession process is an accounting-legalistic procedure in which the most important thing is to pay close attention to every comma. It was never like that. When joining the EU, it was and is about the political goal of supporting democracies and firmly anchoring our European model of life. ”With a view to the upcoming summit meeting of EU heads of state and government with political leaders from Serbia, Kosovo and Montenegro , North Macedonia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Albania on Wednesday in Slovenia similar Austria’s chief diplomat: “The most important message of this must be that we leave the Balkan stagnation behind us. The Western Balkans Summit should be a signal of departure with a clear message to the six countries in the region that their future lies in the European Union. There is simply no alternative to full membership. ”
In its own interest, the EU should also make it clear that the accession negotiations must “not be an endless process”. “A clear finish line must be recognizable,” said Schallenberg. The minister went on to say that it was in the interests of the Europeans to make the Western Balkan countries an integral part of the liberal and open social model of the West: “From my point of view, it would therefore also be important to make the USA an active partner and, for example, also to make it a partner to be included in the so-called Berlin process to promote more cooperation in the region. Financial aid for the Western Balkans should also be coordinated much more closely between Brussels and Washington. “