Obstacles in dialogue between Belgrade, Pristina will impact entire region: Borrell

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There is an obstacle in the continued negotiations between Belgrade and Pristina, the EU’s chief diplomat Josep Borrell said in Brussels on Monday, adding that EU leaders have concluded that the block affects the entire region.

Ahead of a meeting with the foreign ministers of the EU and the Western Balkans, Borrell emphasised that Ukraine will bring momentum to integrations.

“The European Commission has proposed the opening of negotiations with Ukraine. This will trigger a cascade of other countries eager to join. There is an obstacle in the negotiations between Serbia and Kosovo, but dynamics that Ukraine will initiate will impact all candidate countries currently awaiting their turn in the negotiation process,” Borrell said at a press conference before heading into a meeting with Western Balkan leaders.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock stated that EU enlargement is a crucial geopolitical issue for stability and peace, especially for the Western Balkans region. According to her, there should be no blind spots in security in Europe.

“I am very pleased that the foreign ministers of the six Western Balkan countries are here again with us to exchange ideas. At the Berlin Conference, we already made it clear that enlargement is not just a geopolitical issue; it strengthens the EU. Enlargement can make the EU stronger internally, especially concerning reforms. Therefore, it is important to involve partners from the region in matters related to the future of Europe, not just to listen to them once a year,” she said.

The meeting follows the recent approval and publication of the enlargement package and annual progress reports by the EU Commission. These reports assess the cooperation and alignment of actions by countries in the region with the EU in foreign policy, excluding Serbia and, to a lesser extent, Bosnia and Herzegovina, due to their relatively lower alignment with EU positions in this area.

While cooperation with the Western Balkans strengthens, the EU emphasises the importance of strong regional collaboration and dialogue in addressing common challenges. This is particularly relevant for normalising relations between Belgrade and Pristina, with EU diplomats noting that the strained relations between these two states have broader negative implications for the Western Balkans region.

(Euractiv.rs | Jelena Nikolić)