BRUSSELS – Guy Verhofstadt, Leader of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe in the European Parliament, said today that relations in the Western Balkans will not improve through changes of borders and land swaps.
He was referring to recent proposals by Presidents Vučić and Thaçi, who will meet tomorrow in Brussels for the new round of negotiations.
“The only way for guaranteeing a long-term stability and progress is to work on a real reconciliation between the communities, overcome ethnic divisions and credible and gradual progress in the European integrations”, he stated, adding that recent support for Kosovo visa liberalization is a good example for that kind of practice.
Ivo Vajgl, ALDE’s MEP from Slovenia, reminded that such ideas lead to wars in South-eastern Europe two decades ago.
“When it comes to the inter-ethnic relations, the key issue is the adequate protection of national minorities”, he said.