A parliamentary group in the European Parliament, the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE), welcomed the efforts of Belgrade and Pristina to establish a normalization of relations, but at the same time expressed concern about the possibility of border correction and the exchange of territories, reports regional broadcaster N1.
ALDE deputy group leader Guy Verhofstadt said reconciliation, peace and stability in the Western Balkans must remain a priority for all actors in the region.
“Relations in the Western Balkans will not improve through border changes and territorial exchanges. On the contrary, the only way to ensure long-term stability and progress is to work on real reconciliation between communities, overcoming ethnic divisions, with credible and gradual progress in the European integration,” he said.
He also estimated that the recent “green light” of the European Parliament for visa liberalization with Kosovo is yet another step forward in this process.
ALDE’s new envoy, Ivo Vajl from Slovenia, a member of the Parliamentary Stabilization and Association Council of the European Union and Serbia, warned that ideas about re-drawing borders and the exchange of population have always sparked conflicts and wars in the region of Southeast Europe.
“Such projects can only undermine the Euro-Atlantic perspective of all the countries of the Western Balkans. The key question regarding interethnic relations is the adequate protection of national minorities, “said Vajl.
The next meeting of the Presidents of Serbia and Kosovo, Hashim Thaci and Aleksandar Vucic, will take place on Friday in Brussels.
