Austrian foreign minister seeks quick visa liberalisation for Kosovo

At a conference of donors organised in Berlin (05.04).) to help Moldova, a small country with only 2.6 million inhabitants but has so far received 370,000 refugees, Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg has also indicated about the Western Balkans. Russia looks not only to Ukraine, but also to the southern Caucasus -- from the Western Balkans -- and the Republic of Moldova -- has warned Austrian Foreign Minister, Reuters writes.

Schallenberg asked the EU to open membership negotiations with Albania and Northern Macedonia as soon as possible. I still expect this to be done under the French presidency”, Schallenberg said. But the French presidency ends in June.

View by the EU summit with the Western Balkans in Brdo, Slovenia 06.10,2021

Also, Austrian Foreign Minister Schallenberg has asked that visas be liberalised as soon as possible with Kosovo. Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina should also get a membership perspective. Whether these six Western Balkan countries will remain on the European road to democracy and freedom or not, Schallenberg said, recalling the influence of Russia, China and other countries in the region.

The EU should not forget, that previous membership processes have led to strengthening democratic developments in today's member states, Schallenberg said. “Without EU membership, European countries today would probably be in an even more difficult state”, Schallneberg said, given Russia. /DW