Lajcak: There is no stronger incentive for resolving the relations between Belgrade and Pristina than a clear EU perspective

EU Special Envoy for the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue, Miroslav Lajcak, stated today in Ljubljana that EU expansion is a geopolitical necessity for the Union to be stronger and more resilient, and emphasized that there is no stronger incentive for resolving open issues, such as the relations between Belgrade and Pristina or issues concerning Bosnia and Herzegovina, than a clear perspective for EU membership. Lajcak, at the "Western Balkans in the EU" conference, pointed out that everyone is facing a difficult era in which global rules are lacking, and the global architecture post-World War II no longer functions.

As he noted, the lack of a global authority capable of stopping negative processes encourages "some players" to resolve matters unilaterally, disregarding the rules.

"This is a new situation for all of us. The Russian aggression against Ukraine is the most visible and most tragic situation," said Lajcak.

He observed that there are no attempts to define new rules that would be in line with the 21st century.

"Everyone complains, but there are no real initiatives for this," added Lajcak.

He mentioned that Russia's aggression against Ukraine has caused a "positive situation" for the EU because no one, not even in Brussels, expected that the reaction to Russian aggression could be so quick and decisive, recalling that the Union adopted 13 packages of sanctions against Moscow.

This, he pointed out, has also reflected on the approach to the Western Balkans.

"We realized that we can no longer afford to keep this region in a gray zone. Expansion is now seen as a geopolitical necessity for the EU to be stronger and more resilient," Lajcak emphasized.

Referring to Eurobarometer results, he noted that the majority of citizens in member countries view expansion positively, indicating that geopolitical understanding exists.

However, he observed that despite this understanding, there is also an inability to progress.

"We are sending the message that we are serious, and in the Balkans, they say - they have heard that before... Therefore, I think it's time for one country to step forward, make dramatic progress toward membership, because that would stimulate pro-European stances in the Balkans and increase support for the European Union," said Lajcak, who spoke on the panel "Political and Security Situation in the Western Balkans in the Context of Geopolitical Changes in Europe and the World."

He stated that there is no stronger incentive for resolving open issues, such as Bosnia and Herzegovina and the relations between Belgrade and Pristina, than a clear perspective for EU membership.

He added that there is a great responsibility on leaders in the Union and in the region to "not lose momentum."

"We must overcome the fear of expansion. We have introduced rules in the EU and made the beginning of the process difficult. However, we need to find a balance between geopolitical necessity and deserved progress. The process must be credible and transparent, which it was not before," said Lajcak.

He noted that it is important for the EU to understand that enlargement is a two-way street.

"We are not doing this only for the Western Balkans, but also for ourselves. If we believe that the EU is a global player, then the Western Balkans is a region where we can have influence. And, there will come a time when we will have to talk about a new order, and then it will be necessary for the EU to be a global player, respected as such. However, for that to happen, we need the Western Balkans," said Lajcak.