Austria's Foreign Minister: Europe opens eyes, with what is happening in Balkans

In a letter to the German newspaper “Handelsbalt” has analysed the situation in the Western Balkans and possible risks for this part of the region to eventually be removed from Western influences.

Referring to a proposal for Austria's Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz's newspaper warns that the growing influence of Turkey, Russia, and even Saudi Arabia in this part of Europe could cause the EU and the US to lose control over such countries as Albania, Kosovo, Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Macedonia.

In the function of preventing what is happening, Austrian chief diplomat Kurz, calls for speeding up the accession process of these countries to the European Union.

“in Sarajevo and Pristina women are paid to wear burka in public. We cannot see and do nothing”, he told the Handelsbalt newspaper, stressing that there are still serious tensions among the states in the region.

The paper reports extensively on EU and NATO's efforts to keep these countries under its influence and points to “competitiveness among each other, which the United States, Russia, Turkey and Saudi Arabia face.

As for Germany's role, “Handelsblat”, recalls that in 2014 he took the initiative to intensify relations with the Balkans, encouraging reforms and co-operation under the “Berlin Process”. This initiative did not have much progress, which forced Germany to offer the Berlin Plus package.

Gazeta writes that Turkey, on the other hand, is focused on the Balkans for reasons as emotional and logical.

The key to Turkish domination in the Balkans left Muslim minority behind and a cultural and architectural heritage. Many historical monuments have been restored by Turkish government agencies”, the German newspaper reports, adding that Ankara is promoting a very rational and highly studied economic agenda.

Turkish investments have recently been extended to Kosovo mines and civil aviation in Albania, while the Free Trade Agreement with Bosnia was signed in May. At the same time, Russia appears to be exploiting historical and religious ties mainly with Serbia. Serbs, according to a recent survey, are in the vast majority of prorus and do not look with sympathy NATO, Turkey's economic expansion in our region is analysed.

On the other hand, another player important like Russia did not “sleep sleep”/ According to German media on a recent visit to Serbia Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin stressed that, “Serbia will never join the EU”.

The article also speaks of China's aspirations to win a role in the region, mainly through the massive infrastructure and trade project, with which it aims to facilitate communication through Eurasia and envisions a 10 billion-euro investment on the part of Beijing in 16 Eastern and Southeast European countries.