BRUSSELS – Political tensions in the Balkan can cause severe damage to the region and to the enlargement perspective, said rapporteur for Macedonia in the European Parliament Ivo Vajgl.
He called the region to unify and to present itself as a reliable partner of the EU.
“At this moment, in many member states we can see an increase of hesitation when it comes to continuing the enlargement process and consolidation of the Union, which is shaken by Brexit, financial and refugee crisis. The least productive thing that candidate countries can do is to increase mutual tensions and to turn to traditional intolearance based on historical or pseudo-historical issues,” said Vajgl for Tanjug, regarding the diplomatic tensions between Serbia and Macedonia in previous days.
He emphasised that the region, if it wants to keep prospect of enlargement “alive and well-supported”, needs to present itself as a homogeneous, attractive as a market, but also as a reliable partner to the European stability and security.
“Tensions, misunderstandings and turning to the old inter-ethinic debates is dangerous and harmful for all the countries which are participating in them. It would be useful if the Balkan leaders were aware of this,” concluded Vajgl.