ANKARA
German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Wednesday voiced her support for Balkan nations’ ambitions to join the EU.
Speaking at a press conference in Albanian capital Tirana at the start of a two-day Balkans tour, Merkel said: “It is in our interest that Western Balkan countries to have EU integration perspective and to fulfill it.”
Merkel’s visit to Albania, Bosnia and Serbia comes as Europe is gripped by the economic crisis facing neighbor Greece, which is on the brink of being forced out of the euro. The three countries all aim to join the European club, despite official EU statements that the 28-member bloc will not be enlarged until at least 2020.
She said every country seeking EU membership had to fulfill certain conditions and no-one would stand in their way if they meet these requirements.
Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama said his country was determined to join the EU. “Europe needs the Balkans as much as the Balkans needs Europe,” he said as he stood alongside Merkel.
He said failure to join the EU would be “tragedy” for the western Balkans as well as Europe and stressed that EU membership would ensure peace in the region, which was plunged into conflict in the aftermath of the break-up of Yugoslavia in the early 1990s.
Germany initiated a Western Balkans Conference in August last year to boost cooperation between Balkan nations that was also attended by EU officials. The conference was seen as an attempt to counter Russian influence in the region.
Another summit is scheduled to be held in Austria next month to discuss infrastructure projects to be financed by the EU and other western investors.
Albania, Serbia, Macedonia and Montenegro are all candidates to join the EU while Bosnia has signed the stabilization agreement that is a prelude to EU membership and Kosovo is waiting to sign.
Slovenia and Croatia are EU members.
