President Pahor in Prishtina today: “Expansion of the EU to include the Western Balkans is a geopolitical necessity”

Today, the President of the Republic of Slovenia, Borut Pahor, met with the President of the Republic of Kosovo, Vjosa Osmani. The purpose of their meeting was to prepare for the Brdo–Brijuni Process leaders’ meeting, which will take place on 17 May in Slovenia, marking the 10th anniversary of the initiative.

After the meeting, President Pahor announced in his statement to the media that on Monday, 17 May, in Slovenia, the BBP initiative leaders will confer about a more fresh and optimistic view of the European perspective for the Western Balkans region. After holding separate meetings to prepare for the Brdo gathering, President Pahor finds that trust in the European perspective has declined among leaders as well as among the people living in the territory of the Western Balkans. In Pahor’s opinion, this is partly due to the fact that the expansion process has been slower than expected by these countries.

“In terms of the peace, safety and welfare of the people, I believe it is very important both for the Western Balkans and for Europe that the European Union should now take the position that the expansion to include the Western Balkans is a geopolitical necessity,” said President Pahor, adding that the EU should perceive this territory as a whole – by accelerating the process of the EU expansion to the Western Balkans, it would strengthen the trust of the leaders and of the people in their European perspective. At the same time, this would, in Pahor’s view, encourage their political willingness to implement reforms and do away with any second thoughts that might lead them towards more perilous alternatives.

“Speaking as a great advocate of dialogue between Prishtina and Belgrade, I must express the expectation that the new authorities in Kosovo will be willing to encourage this dialogue anew,” the President of the Republic of Slovenia concluded his media statement.

Tomorrow, Friday, 14 May 2021, at 10 am, Pahor is to meet with the President of the Republic of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, in Belgrade. At 11 am, the Presidents will release their statements for the press.

On Sunday, 16 May 2021, at 6 pm, Pahor is to meet with the President of the Republic of Croatia and fellow leader of the initiative, Zoran Milanović, in Bled. On this occasion, the Presidents will give statements for the press.

In the days leading up to the Brdo–Brijuni Process gathering in Slovenia, President Pahor met last week with the President of Montenegro, Milo Đukanović, and the President of the Republic of Albania, Ilir Meta. President Pahor has already met with the President of the Republic of North Macedonia, Stevo Pendarovski (in late September 2020), and with all three members of the Presidency of Bosnia and Hercegovina, Milorad Dodik (Chairman), Šefik Džaferović and Željko Komšić (in March this year).


Photo: Nebojša Tejić/STA