There is no alternative for the Western Balkans countries except as full EU members

There is no alternative for the Western Balkans, except for the countries of the region to become full members of the European Union, the founder and president of the "Friends of the Western Balkans" institute, Borut Pahor, said at the opening of the conference "Western Balkans in the EU" in Ljubljana.

"The title of the conference – Western Balkans in the EU, is not just the motto of this gathering but also our mission, which is to do everything to prepare the countries of the region to join the Union as soon as possible. Whatever question is posed in the Western Balkans, the answer is always – the European Union. There is no alternative for the future of the Western Balkans except as full members of the EU," the former President of Slovenia emphasized.

He is aware, he says, that there are different opinions on this matter, but for him, there is no doubt.

"Our proposal for debate is that the target for enlargement is 2030. By then, both the region and the EU must be ready. For that, we need to see commitment from both sides," Pahor added.

The conference in Ljubljana is organized by the "Friends of the Western Balkans" institute and the "Nizami Ganjavi International Center."

Former President of Bulgaria and member of the board of the "Nizami Ganjavi International Center," Rosen Plevneliev, pointed out that all open issues in the region should be resolved in the spirit of tolerance to preserve peace.

"Peace is not something to be taken for granted, it requires daily efforts. It is not possible to have peace, especially in the Balkans, if there are divisions, whether religious or national," he pointed out.

He emphasized that the European Union was precisely the best formula for peace.

"The Union is the best project in recent history, where everyone, regardless of the size of their territory, shares the same vision and solutions for peace. Peace is not possible if countries like Russia occupy other countries, but also if there are no reforms in the countries because then there are no investments. The formula for peace, prosperity, and democracy is EU membership, and NATO, because without security guarantees – you have nothing," Plevneliev concluded.

The conference in the capital of Slovenia will gather 28 speakers from 19 countries over two days, including all countries in the region, as well as four former presidents of the UN General Assembly.

Among the participants are the EU Special Representative for the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue Miroslav Lajcak, former EU High Representative Catherine Ashton, former Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Europe and Eurasia Philip Reeker, former President of Austria Heinz Fischer, former President and Prime Minister of Montenegro Filip Vujanovic and Igor Luksic, the former Serbian member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina Mladen Ivanic, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Serbia and former President of the UN General Assembly Vuk Jeremic, and others.