Less Regional Conflicts, More Regional Integration

New Future for the Western Balkan Countries

By Daffi Prokopova

The countries of the Western Balkan region - Albania, Bosnia, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia are on their way to the European Union. They are on different stage in their accession negotiations, but they are seen together. The regional integration of the Western Balkan countries help them create common future in order to be preserved more war conflicts, to be supported the economic reconstruction and a favourable investment climate to be formed so as to benefit the region nations.

Iced conflicts

In the former Macedonian PM Lubcho Georgievski’s view a new international conference dedicated to the SEE problems should be initiated and the Kosovo future settlement should be solved there. “If Kosovo is divided into part this may provoke some kind of instability in Macedonia as well regarding the gradually increasing number of the Albanians in Macedonia,” he added.

The multiethnic and multicultural model of development is not the most suitable decision for development of the Western Balkans. Mr. Georgievski fears proved this statement. According to him the state borders of the countries in the Western Balkan region should be formed in accordance with the ethnic principles of the nations. He claimed there exist 2 Macedonian, 2 Croatian and 2 Serbian states in the Western Balkans as well as the Albanian nation has been spread in the boundaries of all the surrounding Albania countries. With the increasing steps of Albanisation of Macedonia, moreover, some months ago Skopje was advised to proclaim Albanian language as a second official language. Also some Macedonian officials justifiably fear of lacking of the Macedonian statehood.

Regarding the territorial integrity the case of Republika Srpska in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina is something similar. The RS leaders eyes at Serbia and prevents the development of BiH as a whole country. The most visible sign are the police reform debates as well as the huge amount of Serbian investments in RS only. After ‘loosing’ Montenegro Belgrade is trying to cause instability in its neighbouring country by attracting gradually Serb populated RS.

EU’s approach to the Western Balkans

EU sees possible SE Europe instability as a threat to its own security and prosperity. For this reason EU offers the Western Balkans a common format for regional cooperation in order to be integrated in the EU. The prospects for EU membership of those countries can partly preserve the ethnic based conflicts.The aspirations of these nations combined with the pressure for institutional and economic reforms put aside problems of national identity and ideas for Great Serbia, Great Albania or so. Slovenia and Croatia are example for successful integration efforts. Croatia’s statesmen do not strive for separation of Bosnia, nor did they in the past. They concentrated their efforts on the improvement of the economic conditions of the Croatians, on attracting foreign investments, on complying Croatia’s legislation with the EU norms and thus creating favourable conditions and secured investment climate for boosting the economy. That’s the true way. Macedonia is getting on this way. The reasonable fears for ethnic tension are fears for getting back. The newest country –Montenegro - is making successful efforts to the EU as well in contract to its former union member Serbia.

Regional Integration

The Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) present the legal form for regional integration of the Western Balkan countries in the EU. It sets clear conditions for cooperation and mutual assistance among the countries in the region in order to be successfully integrated into the EU. The EU has invested a tremendous amount in the stabilisation and development of the Western Balkans. Since 1991, through its various programmes, the Union has provided more than EUR 7 bn in assistance to the 5 countries of the region. In the year 2000, a six-year programme of EUR 4.65 bn was agreed also. Since 2000 assistance to the region has been delivered, helping to transform the lives of people in SE Europe and improve the security of the continent of Europe as a whole. The results of this assistance can be seen in the progress already made in the region towards greater political stability, democracy and economic recovery.

Less Regional Conflicts, More Regional Integration

The Western Balkan counties agreed that "rapprochement with the EU will go hand in hand with this process of developing regional cooperation. This statement shows the determination of the Western Balkan countries to put their common efforts to build a peaceful future and to co-operate together in order to achieve inviolability of borders, territorial integrity and sovereignty of the countries of the region as well as economic reconstruction and prosperity.