Slovenia alerts, Europe can divide into Western Balkans

So said Slovenia's President Borut Pahor at the Blad Strategic Forum, which is being held in Slovenia.

“It is also possible that the division of the new bloc can pass through the middle of the Western Balkans, and that is a cause for concern”, said the head of state, once part of the former Yugoslavia but is now fully integrated into the European Union.

I find it hard to imagine that this can be revealed without security risks. In this regard, Bosnia and Herzegovina seems to be of key importance”.

The Slovenian president said in a discussion under this forum that the longer the EU enlargement process is, the more these countries are entitled to Russia's aspirations, or at least to Russia's growing influence.

“This is why Slovenia has been working for years towards a rapid and decisive enlargement of the EU to the Western Balkans”, he said, RTK.

Slovenian president has already said in this discussion that Serbia will play a crucial role if it comes to dividing Europe into the Western Balkans.

This is Serbia's traditional security, economic political culture and emotional connection to Russia”, Pahor said.

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Pahor further said that the issue in this case is whether Serbia would probably be willing to risk a break with Russia, only if given a strong guarantee -- very determined for its country in the European Union -- but still is not fully certain about it.

“In my opinion, we must do everything in our power and power so that by our actions we can persuade Serbia to strengthen its political will for the European perspective”.

Pahor said prosperity in the Balkans depends entirely on integration in the rest of Europe.

The most important “, people in the Western Balkans with overwhelming majority aspire to join the European Union. However, we know that in recent years progress has slowed, no less by international actors including Russia, who seek to undermine the construction of democratic institutions and rule of law”.

The head of the Slovenian state said the European Union has a clear strategic interest for all six Western Balkan countries to continue to advance on the road towards European membership, because the stability of the Balkans and Western Balkans is European stability and the prosperity of the Western Balkans is European prosperity.

Pahor called for a quick admission of Bosnia to the European Union and NATO alliance, and said Brussels should convince Serbia to choose the path of the European Union instead of its alliance with China and Russia, a move he said would benefit Bosnia and Kosovo.

Earlier in a speech, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the Western Balkan countries' progress towards membership has slowed “by international actors, including Russia, who seek to undermine the construction of democratic institutions and the rule of law”.