Tirana, Albania (AHN) – The European Union has called on the Western Balkan countries for internal cooperation among themselves if they want speedy accession to the 27-nation bloc. European Council President Herman Van Rompuy said the EU was extremely concerned about the region’s stability and security as well as future.
“The European integration of the Western Balkans must be complemented by vigorous efforts to promote regional cooperation,” he said this week during a tour of the region.
Van Rompuy’s comments came after his meeting with Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha in Tirana. This was his second Balkan nations’ tour since assuming the post in December. He also called on Croatia, Montenegro, Albania, Bosnia, Serbia, Macedonia and Kosovo to jointly work to push reforms in their countries.
Croatia is likely to get EU membership in 2012. Serbia, Montenegro, Albania and Macedonia are also seeking membership.
All Balkan nations’ EU accession drive received a boost from Greece with only one exception – Macedonia, with which Greece has a naming dispute. Greece supports the others chances of joining the EU and wants them to be part of the bloc before the centenary of the start of World War One in 2014.
But the EU does not consider their accession before 2018. On Wednesday during his stop in Bosnia, Rompuy called on the region’s leaders to seek quick reforms and to cooperate with other regional neighbors for quick EU integration. He said the Balkan countries could not be successful until Bosnia and Herzegovina talk with a single vote to join the bloc.
With the October election, Bosnia-Herzegovina has a new opportunity to generate momentum of the necessary reforms and focus on the EU agenda with renewed vigor, he added.
On Wednesday, EU Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Füle said he saw positive developments in Montenegro but could not suggest a date for membership talks.
Talking with representatives of the EU Council of Ministers and the European Parliament, he said, “Montenegro did a good job in the last year but we are still far away from a position to start to negotiate about EU membership. We will need at least another year, and one more progress report, to see whether it is possible to open negotiations with Podgorica.”
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