(ANSA) - BRUXELLES, 15 FEB - Some EU countries want to
speed-up the accession of the Western Balkans, while others
think it will stay a future hypothesis. Europe is divided on the
EU strategy for enlargement to the Balkan region, published by
Brussels last week and debated today at the informal Foreign
Ministers summit in Sofia.
"If there's no enlargement now, there'll be no other time for
enlargement. Otherwise, what China, Russia, Turkey are planning
for the region, they will start today," said the Bulgarian Prime
Boyko Borissov, whose country currently holds the EU rotating
presidency. "I am very disappointed" at the entry target of
2025, the Hungarian Foreign Minister, Peter Szijarto,
underlined. "Why we don't integrate Serbia and Montenegro before
2025, in 2022? Why do we have to wait an additional 7 years? I
think 2025 is very late" for the two countries, that "deserve a
much quicker way of integration". "It is obvious that the US has
a strategy for the Western Balkans", as well as "Russia and
Turkey", "it is only the European Union that is extremly slow
when it comes to issues in the Western Balkans", and "should be
much quicker", Szijarto urged. Italy, Poland and Austria are
also among those in favour of stepping up efforts to open the EU
to the region.
On the other hand, other countries, including France, Spain and
Slovenia are more cautious. "It is unrealistic" to think that
Serbia and Montenegro will be ready by 2025, Slovenian Foreign
Minister Karl Erjavec said.(ANSA).
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