Commenting on the recent estimations of the European Parliament (EP) that the region has been facing crisis on the road to the European Union (EU), Eduard Kukan, a member of the EP and chair of the Working Group on the Western Balkans (WB), told that the Western Balkans and European Union (EU) have always been partners, and partners tell each other when there’re some open issues, writes Pobjeda, a daily.
Mr Kukan said: “I firmly believe that the countries of the region and the European Union (EU) are partners and I also believe partners tell each other whenever there’s a problem. This means that when it comes to progress in the process of reforms and accession talks, the EU acknowledges all of them. There is an evident progress – new chapters are opening/closing. But real partners must be honest with each other: if there’s any grave issue, we must be ready to solve it.”
On the question whether the EU supports the Balkans to achieve its final goal, Mr Kukan said that the EU was clear from the very beginning of the accession process of the WB. “Reforms represent the only way to progress in terms of the EU integration and they are the core preconditions for the EU membership.
The EU, he added, has been supporting the region not only in terms of expertise and technical assistance, but also with great political capital.
