site.btaUPDATED EU Meets Balkans Forum in Sofia Looks at Ways to Enhance Regional Cooperation and EU Integration

The EU Meets the Balkans Forum opened here on Tuesday, for which EU leaders, foreign ministers, prominent public figures and politicians gathered in the Bulgarian capital to discuss steps to enhance regional cooperation and integration in the EU. The meeting aims to highlight the connectivity between the Western Balkan countries as a guarantee for resilience against risks and threats. It has been organized by ALDE in association with the European Liberal Forum (ELF) and the Atlantic Club of Bulgaria (ACB).

European Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Oliver Varhelyi said that the process of the Western Balkans' European integration must be accelerated. 

Observing the rule of law is a main criterion for EU membership, Varhelyi said. He believes that the EU enlargement process has acquired overly national dimensions. Europe must work together to prevent conflicts in the Balkans, which should be a top priority, because all of Europe would be impacted by a possible conflict, he said. 

The EU Commissioner's message to the Balkans is for countries to observe all the [EU] membership criteria and conditions. Convincing the European Commission of accepting into the EU Balkan countries is not enough, as all member states must be convinced, which is difficult a times. "We must do more together than we have in the past," he said. 

The EU Commissioner raised the issue of when the first intergovernmental conference with the Republic of North Macedonia and Albania will be held. "I cannot hide the fact that I am extremely disappointed that this question is still on the agenda and being discussed. We thought that we had resolved it two years ago, but it turned out that the issue is on the agenda once again," Varhelyi commented. If one has powers and fails to utilize them, the rest will believe this to be a retreat from these powers, he noted, adding that that is why all member states must believe in the power of the enlargement process to lead to transformations.

"I was in Sofia a couple of weeks ago and I'm here again today," the EU Commissioner said, explaining that he will be happy to come to Sofia as often as necessary, so that a solution can be reached this June.  

"The war has come to show us that there is no time to waste. Wasting time is not in our interest either. The economic crisis and COVID-19 showed us what the lack of integration can lead to," he said.

According to Commissioner Varhelyi, the economic differences between the EU and countries in the Western Balkans are among the main challenges that must be overcome.

Foreign Minister Teodora Genchovska said during the forum that Bulgaria consistently supports Ukraine's European perspective.

Exceptional challenges for the whole democratic world have stemmed from Russia's aggression against Ukraine, the Bulgarian top diplomat said. The conflict has brought many challenges, related with the asymmetric threats to security and stability across the globe. The principles of international law have been trampled by a country which is a permanent member of the UN Security Council and which is a nuclear power. The responsibility for this war is all Russia's and it is our duty to learn a lesson, said the Bulgarian Foreign Minister. 

She said that Bulgaria has always supported the European perspective of all countries in the Western Balkans as well. This perspective is the strongest driving force for the transition to democratic government and market economy, "but the integration per se cannot be an anti-dote for the anti-done are the values themselves". 

She went on to say that the stability of Montenegro, Albania and North Macedonia are guaranteed by the NATO collective security system. A key focus now is to revitalize the European integration of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and of Kosovo, for these two countries have the lowest level of security in the region, have not been granted candidate country status and people in Kosovo remained the last in the region who are still required EU entry visas, said Genchovska. She added that Bulgaria has repeatedly called for visa liberalization with Kosovo.  

She said, though, that Bulgaria's support for the EU prospects of the Western Balkans "is firm but not unconditional". "We have constant dialogue with our closest neighbours in Skopje, guided by our aspiration to overcome artificial divisions created during the Yugoslav regime. We are investing resources and political capital as we try to find mutually acceptable solutions that will make sure Skopje's EU integration rests on solid groundwork. Building predictable and loyal relations, however, is a complex process that requires a political will and is result-oriented. Our joint work towards achieving that continues," said the Foreign Minister.  

She said in conclusion that the Western Balkans "would have been more stable and prosperous had they been members of the European family of shared values".

She further vowed support for the European prospects of Georgia and Moldova.

Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Olga Stefanishyna told the forum's participants in a video message that her country's EU membership will prevent further acts of aggression by Russia. If Ukraine had joined NATO, the war would not have started, according to her. She noted that the Ukrainian people feel the support from the EU and its citizens. 

"We are strong and very brave. We're strongly united at this moment. We are very well aware of the only way to end the war, which is the Ukrainian Army's unconditional victory with support from the world's democratic community," she said.

Asked what they expect from the Bulgarian delegation scheduled to visit Kyiv on Wednesday, Stefanishyna said Ukraine needs support for its EU membership, as well as weapons.

European Parliament President Roberta Metsola said in a video address: "We bear the responsibility to show solidarity with Ukraine against the aggressor. We are strong only when we are united". She called on different countries to continue imposing sanctions on the Russian Federation. 

"We must think about how to accelerate the enlargement process towards the Western Balkans," Metsola said, adding that geographically the region is surrounded by the EU. 

The Foreign Minister of Kosovo, Donika Gervalla, said that the EU must honour its commitments to make her country a member soon. She said that people in Kosovo are strongly supportive of EU integration and the country is making all efforts to meet the membership requirements. She called for further progress towards scrapping the visa regulations for Kosovo but said that full membership rather than visa liberalization is the true goal of her country. France has had its elections and there will hopefully be progress, she added. 

She said she is convinced that the EU does not need a war to appreciate the importance of continued enlargement and integration of the rest of Europe.

The messages that are being sent to the Western Balkans must be very clear, said also the top diplomat of Kosovo. 

MEP Ilhan Kyuchyuk (Renew Europe), who is also Co-President of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE), said that the issue of the Western Balkans' European integration has taken on a different dimension, becoming a question of security. 

According to Kyuchyuk, the EU must grant Ukraine candidate status in June of this year. 

ELF Executive Director Daniel Kaddik said that the EU must adopt a more mature approach in its foreign relations. The world is changing and Ukraine and Moldova are desperately seeking EU membership. The EU, on the other hand, must offer them a real perspective for European development, he said, adding that Montenegro is a country ready to join the EU. 

Federica Mogherini, Rector of the College of Europe and former EU high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, said that the true antidote to the war is European integration. Mogherini said she would focus more on integration than on enlargement. According to her, the EU will not have competition in the region if it is consistent. She said that trust in the EU was slightly shaken in June of 2019, but desperation is currently increasing, which is dangerous. 

ACB President and former Bulgarian foreign minister Solomon Passy noted that the question everyone must ask themselves during the forum is where they made a mistake. According to Passy, what is happening in Ukraine is the result of a series of mistakes. "Where did we, as Bulgaria, as the EU and as NATO, make a mistake? Where did I make a mistake?" Passy asked, adding that while he always thought war to be a thing of the past, it has always been part of our future.

North Macedonia's Foreign Minister Bujar Osmani, who also took part in the forum, said that his country's trust in the EU has decreased. 

Osmani said that hopes were high during a [EU-Western Balkans] summit held in Sofia a few years ago, which came after the one in Thessaloniki. Back then, Sofia was leading the region towards European integration, he added. 

After 15 years of having an EU candidate status and numerous positive recommendations from the European Commission that it meets all requirements, North Macedonia is still waiting [to start EU accession talks], its Foreign Minister said. He noted that only 8% of his country's population have confidence in the EU. 

Osmani recalled that Albania is also waiting [to start EU accession talks] after having carried out painful reforms. Kosovo is also waiting for the visa regime to be lifted, Bosnia is also waiting for candidate status and is in a difficult situation. "We are waiting to see the strategic leadership concerning the Western Balkans," he said. 

"Obviously we need a new EU approach towards the region," Osmani said, adding that the EU must assume strategic leadership and not wait for a war to start in the region, like in Ukraine, "so we can have solidarity and [a European] perspective". 

It's time for Bulgaria to assume strategic leadership in the region, Osmani said. According to him, the time has come for strategic leadership and not politicking. He called on both sides to assume their responsibility. "We have a historical responsibility to consolidate the region. It is in the Republic of Bulgaria's strategic interest for the whole region is stable and European.

Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister Faruk Kaymakci said that a large Turkey can contribute more to the EU economy. He said during the forum that his country is aware of the requirements for its EU membership, adding that a large part of its population supports Turkey's possible accession to the Union - 79% do so, while 65% believe that Turkey can meet the EU accession criteria. According to him, the EU accession process has become very "nationalized" since 2004. "We understand some nationalist views, but that is not in the common interest. We truly need leadership and courage," the Turkish diplomat said. 

Kaymakci noted that if his country had been treated in a just manner during the accession process, Turkey would have been a strong and full-fledged EU member nowadays. That would have led to much better cooperation within the EU and NATO, said he, adding that such cooperation would have been a sufficiently stable obstacle to the war in Ukraine. According to him, the benefits of EU integration are related to stability, security and peace. 

NATO Assistant Secretary General for Public Diplomacy Baiba Braze said that the Western Balkans region has marked significant progress. Peace and stability in the Euro-Atlantic space can be guaranteed by the joint work of the EU and NATO, she said. Braze outlined hybrid attacks and foreign meddling as the main threats to the region. She stressed how important it is for NATO to fight against all attempts at destabilizing any of the countries in the Western Balkans.

On the sidelines of the event, the EU Commissioner will talk separately with President Rumen Radev, Prime Minister Kiril Petkov and Foreign Minister Teodora Genchovska.