The US administration of president Joe Biden is hoping the integration of the Western Balkan countries in the the EU can speed up from its snail-like pace – and Washington will push to reinvigorate the process, a senior US State Department official has said.
Gabriel Escobar, the recently named acting deputy secretary of state for South-Central Europe expressed frustration at the lack of movement on EU accession for Balkan states over the past 20 years. Speaking to Radio Free Europe, he said: “To return 20 years later and see that there hasn’t been much progress on that front was a little disappointing… We would like to see a more rapid integration.”
After having had 13 countries join the Union between 2004 and 2013 – the last time being Croatia – the EU appears to have lost the political will and there’s little public enthusiasm for further rapid expansion.
Currently, six Western Balkan nations are in talks with Brussels at a high level, with Serbia at the most advanced stage among them. North Macedonia, Albania, Serbia, Kosovo, Montenegro, and Bosnia-Herzegovina are all also seeking to become full members of the European Union.
Source: RFE/RL
As Donald Trump officially declared his victory in the US election, he received congratulations from…
European leaders committed to developing a defence industry base and enhancing EU competitiveness at an…
The EU and the Republic of Korea formalised a comprehensive Security and Defence Partnership in…
Poland is the dominant country in the Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) business landscape, with…
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, no stranger to political brinkmanship, went all in on Donald…
Moldovan President Maia Sandu defeated her pro-Russian rival Alexandr Stoianoglo by around 55% to 45% in the presidential second-round…