Prenkaj: Costa considers euro-integration of the region a geostrategic necessity for Europe

Diplomat Albert Prenkaj told Kosovo Online that European Council President Antonio Costa views the Euro-integration of the Western Balkans as a geostrategic necessity for Europe, adding that the normalization of relations is a key factor on the path toward Europe when it comes to Serbia and Kosovo.

As Prenkaj stated, one of Antonio Costa’s main messages to the countries of the region is that they must focus on internal issues.

“The remark by European Council President Antonio Costa that, in times of ‘global geopolitical uncertainty and economic instability’, enlargement is not only an option but a geostrategic necessity for Europe, represents an investment in peace, stability, and security of our continent. President Costa emphasized that normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia is necessary for the European future of both countries,” Prenkaj said.

According to him, the European Council’s expectation from the summit in Tivat is an assessment of the progress achieved in the gradual integration of the Western Balkans into the EU, as well as consideration of ways to address common challenges and strengthen security.

“Although Costa emphasizes that EU enlargement is not an option but a ‘geostrategic necessity’, the topics of the Tivat summit sound as if the aforementioned concern is more colloquial than substantive in nature. In such circumstances, I would expect a more agile approach, in a positive sense,” he said.

If enlargement is truly of geopolitical importance, Prenkaj said he believes the process should be accelerated through an “integration with standards” approach, rather than “standards as a condition for integration”, due to the radical uncertainty at the global level.

He also commented on different proposals for a modified accession process.

“German Chancellor Merz sees enlargement as a ‘geopolitical necessity’, but has proposed reforming the accession process in order to overcome long-standing deadlocks. At the same time, five EU member states - Austria, the Czech Republic, Italy, Slovakia, and Slovenia - are promoting a phased, step-by-step enlargement, which shows that a new, accelerated approach is being considered, possibly even before the establishment of a new world order,” the diplomat concluded.