Komšić at the Brdo-Brijuni Summit: An unstable region is a source of economic decline, let's leave behind past practices that lead nowhere

(Patria) - The Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Željko Komšić, is participating in the Brdo-Brijuni Process leaders' summit, which is being held today in Durrës, Albania. The theme of this summit is "Common interests, common commitment for a common future: Together towards the EU". In his address, he stated that they have lasting topics for discussion: European integration, the Growth Plan, youth and emigration, regional cooperation, and regional security.

"I want to reiterate that European integration remains our path and goal, regardless of various disappointments. The disappointments are mutual, both from the European side and from our side. For some time now, it seems that the EU and we in the Western Balkans often operate 'on different frequencies'. The EU says it wants us to join, we say we want the same, but in reality, it seems we are talking and thinking about completely different things.

The generation from our region that embarked on the path of European integration with hope at the beginning of this century is now approaching the end of its working life. Two and a half decades later, enthusiasm has been replaced by the exhaustion of an entire generation. Those who long ago stopped accepting small steps in social reforms as normal, reforms that are necessary and are happening slowly or not at all, have been caught in the so-called 'brain drain'.

And this cannot be stopped by anything other than changing policies, implementing reforms, and changing the relationships among ourselves, but also by creating a stable region. A stable region, committed to social changes and reforms, reforms that can create security. A region without territorial pretensions, without rattling of weapons, without interference in the internal affairs of other states, without cheap populism.

An unstable region is a source of insecurity, and as such, it inevitably leads to depopulation and economic decline. There is no point in talking about declarative aspirations for regional cooperation and European integration without a real political consensus on regional cooperation, without finding certain common economic denominators, and leaving the political practices of the past behind us, practices that lead nowhere.

The declaration proposed at this meeting can be adopted at this moment. Finally, the declaration does not touch upon any issue for which there is no consensus. But the time is coming when we will have to provide answers to difficult questions, even in this format," Komšić stated.

He said that discussions should be opened on possible joint economic projects that cross the borders of our countries, such as projects in the energy sector, for which there is interest both from our side and from potential partners outside our region.

In addition to the members of the Presidency of BiH, the summit is attended by the presidents of Serbia Aleksandar Vučić, Montenegro Jakov Milatović, North Macedonia Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova, Kosovo Vjosa Osmani, and as hosts, the presidents of Croatia Zoran Milanović, Albania Bajram Begaj, and Slovenia Nataša Pirc-Musar.