2 hours agoMerkel's spokesman: Change of borders, dangerous and can create new tensions
Periskopi(5 years ago)
(5 years ago)After Minister Maas, also German Chancellor Angela Merkel's spokesman, has indicated against changing borders in the Balkans. German Chancellor Stephen Seibert said on Friday, 30.04.21. in the regular conference of German government spokespersons against changing borders along ethnic lines in the Western Balkans. Asked by Deutsche Welle that a [...]
German Chancellor Stephen Seibert said on Friday, 30.04.21. in the regular conference of German government spokespersons against changing borders along ethnic lines in the Western Balkans.
Asked by Deutsche Welle whether the German government has determined red lines that should not be violated in the event of an agreement on normalising Kosovo-Serbia relations, Seibert said:
Please understand that we don't usually comment on unofficial documents, but on speculations that are currently circulated in the media about changing borders in the Western Balkans along ethnic lines, from the Federal Government position I can tell you that we consider it very dangerous. ”
“Such boundaries could increase the instability of the region, create new tensions and until the return of past conflicts. As a government, we continue to promote the path of European and transatlantic integration of countries in the region, based on democracy, rule of law and multiethnicity”, Seibert said further and added: “encourage the countries of the Western Balkans to follow the reform agenda and focus particularly on justice and rule of law, in the fight against corruption and organised crime. ”
Even foreign affairs ministry spokesman Christian Burger recalled with this case that Foreign Minister Heiko Maas (SPD), during his visit to Pristina and Belgrade last week, also flatly dismissed the idea of changing borders.
In their response, the spokesman avoided the issue of Serb autonomy in northern Kosovo. Government circuits told him WHEE that Germany agrees on how the basis for dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia should serve agreements reached so far in Brussels.
