Kurz: Stability of Europe depens on W.Balkans

By Talha Ozturk

BELGRADE, Serbia

For a stable Europe, a stable Western Balkans region is needed, Austria’s chancellor told a host of Balkan and EU leaders on Monday.

"We know that the stability of Europe depends very much on the stability and security in your region,” the Western Balkans, Sebastian Kurz said in the Austrian capital Vienna, adding that cooperation between the EU and the Western Balkans is very important.

Kurz's remarks came at meeting called "Western Balkan Gathering" focusing on issues such as EU accession, stability, and cooperation for the countries of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania, Kosovo, Montenegro, Macedonia, and Serbia.

Austria currently holds the rotating EU presidency.

The meeting was attended by Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, Macedonian Deputy Prime Minister Koco Angjusev, Montenegrin Prime Minister Dusko Markovic, Kosovar Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj, President of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina Denis Zvizdic, Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic, EU Commission for Neighborhood Policy and Enlargement Johannes Hahn, and European Commissioner for Digital Economy and Society Mariya Gabriel.

Kurz said that they support the countries' journey towards the EU, saying: "We think the union will be completed when the Western Balkan countries are part of the EU."

Economic stability

Hahn said one of the key topics discussed at the meeting was the region’s economic situation, pointing to the importance of adapting the regional economy to the EU market.

Hahn said that in 2016-2017 the region’s economic internal dynamics progressed slowly, but in the last decade the trade capacity between the six countries and the EU doubled to €46 billion ($52.6 million).

Reiterating the importance of the EU perspective for the six Western Balkan countries, Hahn stressed that continuation of this trend is very important for the region and the bloc.

While ex-Yugoslav states Croatia and Slovenia have joined the EU, for now Serbia, Kosovo, and Bosnia remain in limbo.