Spaanse voorzitterschap tevreden met resultaat conferentie over Westelijke Balkan (en)
The Bosnian Foreign Minister, Sven Alkalaj (right), talks to the head of European diplomacy, Catherine Ashton, and the Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, Miguel Ángel Moratinos, during the conference in Sarajevo. EFE
The Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, Miguel Ángel Moratinos, believes that the Sarajevo Conference was a “historic day” in which the European Union and the Western Balkans arrived at a “new agreement” for hope, the future and full integration with EU institutions.
The Conference was organised by the rotating presidency of the EU, currently held by Spain, in order to solemnly reaffirm the European prospects of the Balkan countries and to present the economic and political advances they have made with a view to their future integration.
Moratinos thanked the participants for “a historic day” and highlighted the “success” of the decade-old process to bring the former Yugoslav republics closer to the EU: “Though we remember some dramatic moments, I believe we should be very satisfied by the manner in which we are moving forwards”.
‘Much remains to be done, but if we look back at the dramatic and tragic events which have taken place in the area, I believe that the progress made in this difficult region should give us cause for satisfaction’, said the Spanish minister
For his part, Stephan Fule, the European Commissioner for Enlargement, stressed that today’s meeting left no doubt with regard to ‘the necessity of enlarging the EU’ in order to ‘shore up European prospects in the region, at a time when the EU is struggling to overcome the economic and financial crisis’.
He also underscored the ‘inclusive nature’ of the Conference and stressed the ‘importance’ of ‘transforming’ all of the ‘promises’ made by the participants ‘into real collaboration’ in the coming weeks.
Declaration of Sarajevo
Drawn up by the Spanish Presidency in collaboration with the European Commission, the Sarajevo declaration reiterates Europe's commitment, incorporates the agreed language regarding the European perspective, highlights issues on which 'more effort needs to be made' across the board and not by individual countries, proposes a common plan for coming out of the crisis based on the 2020 Strategy and stresses that 'regional cooperation must improve'.
In the Presidency's view, there are 'unresolved problems between neighbours' in the region, which must be tackled by the Balkan countries, in line with the 'European culture of integration: an internal process, in each country, of reconciliation with its neighbours'.
The EU has confirm its commitment to the Western Balkans at the Sarajevo Conference, which on Wednesday brought together the 27 EU Foreign Ministers with those of the region, representatives from the USA, Russia and Turkey and the main international organisations involved in the area (NATO, OSCE and the Council of Europe).
The Western Balkans is the region where the EU has invested the most resources to achieve stabilisation and modernisation, both economic, political and other types, including military units and hundreds of police and judges to help establish security structures on a par with European standards.
Ten years ago, the EU offered the region a future in Europe. This Conference will highlight the important advances that have taken place in this direction: some counties are already members, others are negotiating accession, while some are candidates or have requested candidacy. Much progress has been made with all of them by signing Stabilisation and Association Agreements, which are the basis of relations for the EU with each of the countries in the region.
The Conference confirmed this route towards the EU, but also underlined the need for each of them to continue along the path of political and economic reform. All countries were encouraged to strengthen regional cooperation links, helping to tackle the complex problems of the area more easily.
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