“The EU accession of the Western Balkan countries bears with it a huge economic opportunity, but if these countries remain outside the EU it could give rise to major problems”, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó said at a conference on Thursday organised by the Institute for Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Budapest office of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation.

With respect to the economic aspects of their integration, the Hungarian Foreign Minister said that, although they may have set out from a much lower level, the rate of GDP growth of the Western Balkan states is significantly higher than the EU average, while with relation to security aspects he said that if the region is stable and integrated then there will be a much better chance of stopping migration into the European Union.

At the conference, Mr. Szijjártó noted that the integration of the Western Balkans is one of the most important challenges facing the EU, and that he was shocked when he read the European Commission’s report that indicated 2025 as a realistic date for the accession of the two states that are most ahead in the accession negotiations, Montenegro and Serbia. “What damage can Montenegro and Serbia cause as member states?”, Mr. Szijjártó asked

“Serbia is a pillar of stability in the Western Balkans; if Serbia is stable then there is hope that the Western Balkans will be stable”, but if Belgrade loses its enthusiasm for joining the EU it could lead to difficult times, he declared.

The Minister rejected the fact that some EU countries are criticising Serbia for its minority policies. “Serbia is treating the Hungarian minority better than neighbouring EU member states”, he stated.

With relation to good Serbian-Russian relations, Mr. Szijjártó said this was rooted in history. “How can we expect Serbia to sever ties with Russia when we are not giving them positive feedback concerning the fact that they will be able to join us?”, he asked, arguing that the as yet unopened chapters of the accession negotiations must be opened at the earliest opportunity.

According to the Minister, continuing the process of EU enlargement is the most effective way of finding new allies. “The more we are, the stronger we are”, he said, also noting that the overly long accession process is making life more difficult for pro-accession political parties.

Mr. Szijjártó mentioned that some Western European states are experiencing a kind of “accession fatigue”. He said that in his opinion we are “in the 24th hour” with relation to the region, because the world’s major political players, the United States, Russia and Turkey, all have strategies for the region, but the EU “is the slowest of the four”.

He also stressed that Bulgaria, the current president of the Council of the European Union, is committed to enlargement, and the two states that will be taking over the presidency next, Austria and Romania, are also “pro-enlargement”, but this position is not part of the EU mainstream.

(Cabinet Office of the Prime Minister/MTI)