Šoltes: European Union clearly said it wants to expand, the Western Balkans must show the same will

STRASBOURG, (Patria) - The European Commission (EC) adopted a strategy for "A Credible Enlargement Perspective and Enhanced EU Engagement with the Western Balkans".

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said that the European Union is committed to the European future of the region because it is also a geostrategic investment in a stable, strong and united Europe based on shared values.

The countries of the Western Balkans now face a series of tasks that they must fulfill before becoming members of the large European family.

Slovenian MEP Igor Šoltes believes that the adoption of such a strategy is a great day for the entire Western Balkans, and that the countries from this region should view it in that context.

"The message is completely clear, that the European Union will expand, that the doors to the Western Balkans have been opened wide, and that this is an irreversible process," said Šoltes in an interview with the Bosnian news agency Patria (NAP). He added that Europe has seen that without the countries of the Western Balkans, neither the European Union will be stable, and that everyone should work together to bring the region closer to the rest of Europe as soon as possible. Of course, this MEP from the Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance recalls, this is not a one-sided process, "but a process that must be invested in from both sides."

"The strategy should be seen as a sign of opportunity, but it is clear that there are still many topics to work on - from the rule of law, the fight against organized crime, the intertwining of public and private interests, administration, the legal system, corruption in the economy. These are all things that must be taken seriously," said Šoltes. He emphasized that the countries of the Western Balkans should pay special attention to young people. He reminded that everyone who has the opportunity to leave the region does so, "and that is not good." Šoltes believes that young people should be retained but also offered a perspective.

As one of the key problems in the countries of the Western Balkans, Šoltes also cites the problem of nationalism, "which always raises its head and which no one can solve instead of those responsible in those countries."

Asked whether Serbia's doors are being opened too much compared to other countries, and whether this is a kind of injustice given the problems that the Serbian regime caused in the former Yugoslavia in the early 1990s, Šoltes says there is no guarantee that the picture will be the same in this regard in a year or two.

"I said, if this is a regatta, let it not be a regatta of competition and struggle, but a regatta of cooperation. Every country that makes a step forward in the Balkans should have only a positive effect on other countries," said Šoltes, adding that along with all this, the member states of the European Union also have a duty to help the countries of the Western Balkans on that path.