Lajcak: EU must speed up enlargement process for Western Balkans

 

 The European Union's special envoy for the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue and other Western Balkan issues, Miroslav Lajcak, says there is no alternative to the Western Balkans other than integration. He expressed concern that Europe could lose the Western Balkans if the enlargement process is not accelerated, VOA reports.

"The only alternative is the full membership of these countries in the EU," Mr. Lajcak said on Saturday at the Balkan Integration Forum being held in Podgorica.

The European Union, he added, must be sure that new members do not bring additional problems to the bloc.

"What I fear is that we may lose the Western Balkans, which is committed to our values," said Mr Lajcak, adding that in the absence of alternatives, instead of creating states governed by the rule of law, independent media, civil society and depoliticized judiciary, there is a risk of strengthening illiberal authoritarian tendencies.

Such a Balkans, warns Mr. Lajcak, would be an instrument of change for the strategic interests of other players.

"This is why we need to speed up the enlargement process. "We need to see things realistically and how strong positive signals the region is sending to the European Union," Miroslav Lajcak told the Balkan Integration Forum in Podgorica.