US State Department official Hoyt Bryan Yee thinks that "integration and transformation" of the Western Balkans is in the interests of Brussels, and the region.

Speaking in Bled, Slovenia, he added that the readiness for this on the part of EU institutions is what is currently missing.

Stressing that the European Union may be the single most important force for achieving prosperity and peace in Europe in history, the US official pointed out that countries in the region must show the maximum will to transform themselves in order to become EU members.

Some Balkan countries, however, have not made that decision and have not yet entirely committed to joining the EU, Yee added.

"I once talked to an official from the region and asked him: 'Why not put all your eggs in EU basket, that is, why not devote yourself 100 percent to the criteria from the acquis communautaire, why are you sitting on two chairs?'," he recounted.

According to Yee, the answer was that this country was not sitting on two chairs - but was holding on to two branches and would not let go of either until it was certain that one is completely firm.

According to the US official, the process has two sides to it - the EU must be fully prepared to accept those that need to be transformed, and those countries need to be "100, not 50 percent sure" that they want to be a part of the EU.

Reforms are crucial and necessary for the transformation, and EU, NATO or any other institutions should be ready to accept that it is in their interest to make the transformation happen - and that is missing, he noted.

It is entirely possible that the countries of the region could remain outside the EU, although it is vital that the EU has them as members, Yee said.

See at: http://www.b92.net/eng/news/world.php?yyyy=2017&mm=09&dd=06&nav_id=102248