The
EU's Spanish presidency and Italy propose a high level meeting of
European Union and Balkan officials in June to 'reinforce the European
perspective of the region', Pristina daily 'Koha Ditore' reported
Thursday.
- We must show the countries in the region that we
continue to care even more than we did ten years ago, Spain and Italy
said in a letter to their EU partners.
The challenges now are different from those faced ten
years ago, democracy consolidated and economies improved, despite the
recent global recession, the letter reads.
- The challenge now is to accelerate and reinforce
reforms, Spain and Italy said, calling for the meeting to be held in
Sarajevo 'by early June'.
After surpassing the institutional crisis with the
enforcing of the Lisbon Treaty, the EU should deal with urgent foreign
policy issues.
The situation in Western Balkans is part of these
urgent matters. The Balkans' security and prosperity affect on the
every-day of the EU citizens. The region's stability is crucial for the
Europe's security For the last two decades, local conflicts have
jeopardized the stability. Most of those conflicts have been settled by
now, but the lasting settlement may only be achived via the
EU-integration of Western Balkan countries, the letter reads.
European leaders have said that all countries of the
Western Balkans can become EU members, if they fulfill the strict
criteria to do so.
- The high level meeting will be the opportunity to
take stock of where we are regarding each country of the region and what
our objectives are for each of them, Spain and Italy say.
Fifteen years after the war which helped dismantle
the former Yugoslavia, and 10 years after the Kosovo conflict, the 25
million inhabitants of the Western Balkans are on the path to EU
membership, though at differing paces.
Slovenia joined the European club in 2004.
Croatia and Macedonia are official candidate nations
while Serbia, Montenegro and Albania have applied.
The laggard is Bosnia, where reforms have been
glacial.
Kosovo, which proclaimed independence in 2008 has
still not been recognised by all EU nations, including Spain.
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