Hahn: Vuciq told me there is no reason to continue dialogue with Pristina

The outgoing European Commissioner for Enlargement, Johannes Han, said Serbia's President Aleksandar Vuciq had told him after blocking membership talks with northern Macedonia and Albania, that it was not clear why he would be further motivated to continue dialogue with Pristina.

Hahn said this in an interview with the Financial Times, and the paper estimated such an attitude was a blow to the EU, which spent nearly 10 years trying to mediate talks between Belgrade and Pristina.

He said the dialogue blockade came at a time when efforts should be stepped up to make the EU a stronger global player, as well as the loss of influence “in a region where the EU's absence will reportedly complement China and Russia.

Hahn added that the most surprising thing for him was that the EU had not always shown that it adhered to <x0) progress of responsibility” and warned that if the EU does not recognise the countries' progress, then there will be no further push for reform.

Otherwise, Hahn said he is proud of the progress made during his mandate in advancing ties between countries of the region -- Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, Northern Macedonia and Serbia -- which are still struggling to overcome the wars and riots of the 1990s.

“The leadership's calls have become common,” said Hahn, welcoming the fact that the leaders of northern Macedonia, Albania and Serbia have taken the initiative to remove customs barriers in trade.