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An office for informing and representing EC in Slovenia
European perspective for the Western Balkans
On 10 May this year in Ljubljana, Slovenia, on the occasion of 2 May – The European Day, a debate on the “European perspective for the Western Balkans took place. The debate was organized by the Office for informing of the Slovenian Government, in cooperation with the EC representatives in the Republic of Slovenia. About 50 civil sector representatives took part, mainly from the Western Balkan countries and Slovenia. Macedonia was represented by Tanja Hafner – Ademi from the Macedonian Centre for International Cooperation. Facilitators were Stevo Muk, CRNVO (Montenegro), Miodrag Shresta, Grupa 484 (Serbia); Ahmed Turkic, Directorate for EU Integrations, Ministerial Council (Bosnia and Herzegovina); and Borut Grgic, Institute for Strategic Studies (Slovenia.
The goal of the debate was to familiarize the interested Slovenian public, especially the government sector representatives, with the situation and the perspectives within the EU integrations of the Western Balkan countries. Each representative presented the key problems in their country. In Montenegro it is the need for greater support by the EU in the filed of administrative reforms, the media, the fight against the corruption and the media. The Serbian representative presented the problem with the visa regime and the situation in which the Western Balkan countries remain a “black hole” surrounded by EU members and the schengen visa regime. The representative from Bosnia and Herzegovina (the only one who represented the government sector) presented the condition with the negotiations concerning the Stabilization and Association Agreement that BiH initiated in the beginning of last year and the growing optimism related to them.
When presenting the conditions in Macedonia, a review was done on the need for quicker access to the pre-accession EU funds and instruments so that Macedonia (as well as the other countries) can face the structural problems and the general and unrealistic expectations of the citizens for the speed and the benefits from the EU membership.
The Slovenian representative made a strategic review on the position of the Western Balkan countries that have no other alternative but to integrate in the EU, and he also noted the possibility that Slovenia facilitate in the relieving the visa regime, help the development of the human capital necessary for the EU process and the consistent external policy from the region.
The conclusions from the debate were that there is no alternative to the EU integrations for the Western Balkan countries; it should happen as soon as possible and it should not depend only on the internal dynamics of the EU. The government institutions’ representatives in Slovenia, as well as their representatives in the EU, expressed their readiness to cooperate and assist the process.
T.H.A.
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