Kos: Europe's security depends on stability in Balkans, region must accept into EU

She made this comment after the first ministerial meeting of foreign ministers of the Western Balkan Friends Group, held in Bratislava, Slovakia

Europe's “Security is very much related to stability in the Western Balkans. Therefore, we need to find practical ways to draw the region closer to the European Union. We know from the past that only two Western Balkan countries are members of the EU: Croatia and Slovenia. That's why we have to do more and that was the focus of our discussion today, how can we achieve this”, Kos said, reports Kosovapress, broadcast Periscope.

She said that the EU cannot allow the security gaps to grow in its neighbourhood, while adding that in this geopolitical situation “mad “, for the first time, there are destabilising external forces that want to see the EU and aspiring countries fail in the membership process and that those forces can intervene and use “these countries against us”.

With Albania we have opened all chapters and we hope to move towards closing them as soon as possible. Northern Macedonia has recently accelerated the pace of reforms, but our ambition is for the entire region to move forward. Because after all, all Western Balkan partners belong to the European Union as equal members, with full rights and responsibilities based on full harmonisation with EU laws and values”, Kos said.

While Slovakia's Foreign Minister Juraj Blnar said Western Balkan countries have the opportunity to benefit from the financial and integration support of the European Union to face challenges such as migration of youth towards the EU and the needs for economic development.

He cited Albania and Montenegro as two positive examples that must be followed by all other countries in the region on their path towards membership in the European Union.

“We think countries like Slovakia, Montenegro and Albania can be a positive example for all Western Balkan peoples that this is possible. We supported Albania on its path, because it is very, very motivated and that is its priority, but they still have work to do”, he said.

The Western Balkan Friends' Group includes Austria, Croatia, Greece, Czechia, Slovakia, Italy and Slovenia.

Representatives of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, northern Macedonia, Serbia and Kosovo also participated in the meeting in Bratislava.

Kosovo has applied in December 2022 for EU candidate status. For that, there is still no decision from Brussels. /Periscope/