“I am optimist by nature, I think it is possible [Western Balkans countries to access EU] and let me also underline, I do not see any EU strategy, or even a strategy of individual member states, to make the accession so difficult they can never be achieved. That would be nonsense and it is totally contrary to all declarations which have been made in the past. Even now enlargement Commissioner was at the Belgrade Security Forum and said again that there is only one place for these countries, which is in the European Union. It will be hard to meet the conditions, especially rule of law and also some economic conditions, but I definitely do not see that this is impossible. Giving timeframes is always difficult, but I think it is possible, and then again do not forget that two countries of former Yugoslavia, Slovenia and Croatia, have already joined. What is also of course important is that on the side of the countries, to make this happen within reasonable time you need to have enormous political determination, this must be number one political priority and endorsed by a broad majority of the population. Where on the contrary you have mixed messages, you have reflections on plan B or plan C, making compliments to China or Russia forgetting about all the funding the country got from the EU, then with these kind of mixed messages things will not become impossible, but much more difficult. And of course, no country is forced into the EU against its will.”
06 Nov 2020
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