Bogovic: It is not logical that the event in Banjska was planned in Belgrade

Events in northern Kosovo in May and September have influenced how the situation is understood, the Member of the European Parliament and member of the Slovenian People's Party, Franc Bogovic said today. He added that he believed Serbia had not been involved in the events in Banjska on September 24.

"There are many who point fingers at Vucic and Belgrade, claiming that it was planned, but... We have talked to (EU Special Representative for the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue and other Western Balkan regional issues, Miroslav) Lajcak and others, and we have not found any logic as to why this would happen now, because these events have put Serbia in a worse position than it was in," Bogovic told Tanjug.

He emphasized that Lajcak "has put everything on dialogue".

"When I talked to him within the European People's Party, he put everything on dialogue. I believe there is no solution in politics and society without dialogue, so I will do my best to bring us back to the table to seek solutions, not new problems," Bogovic said, expressing hope that the "situation will calm down", tensions would decrease, and agreement would be reached because "that is the only thing that matters in diplomacy".

Speaking about EU enlargement, he pointed out that it had been 10 years since the last enlargement, which was the longest period without new members for the EU.

"New EU enlargement is therefore on the agenda, but also because of the geopolitical situation in the region and the world. It is clear to everyone that if the Western Balkans join the EU, and there is also talk about Ukraine and Moldova, it will be much better for the entire European continent," Bogovic said.

He emphasized that the idea of a gradual enlargement process, opening access to additional funds after closing certain clusters, was very good.

"I always say, when you compare the IPA fund with cohesion funds, it's a ratio of ten to one. There are major things in energy, the natural environment, water, and sewage, where a lot of money is needed. It would be very significant for the region to be prepared for enlargement on the ground," he said.

Bogovic assessed that, on the one hand, there was talk of "Multi-speed Europe", while enthusiasm for European integration was waning in Western Balkan countries.

"People always talk about whether the EU is ready for enlargement, and now we have this paper written by experts from Germany and France... Again, we hear about the Multi-speed Europe, while, on the other hand, there is less enthusiasm in Serbia and other Western Balkan countries than before. Therefore, something needs to be done to revitalize this story, as it means a lot to people in that area; it is the right direction for development," Bogovic concluded.