EU Albania’s membership perspective is fading, as Brussels does not expect this to happen until 2025. Meanwhile Serbia and Montenegro’s membership is foreseen to happen within this deadline.
In a letter that European Commission President Jean Claude Junker sent to the President of the European Parliament, Antonia Tajani and the Estonian presidency, while listing the Union’s priorities by 2025, Junker expressed the intention to launch “a strategy for a successful accession to EU of Serbia and Montenegro as the main candidates in the Western Balkans, with a perspective until 2025, as one of the initiatives to make the Union a stronger global player.
While Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn stated at the Belgrade forum that Montenegro and Serbia are the two Balkan countries closer to the EU.
Hahn did not directly mention the condition of Kosovo’s recognition by Serbia, but said that Serbs should find a solution in the ongoing dialogue with Pristina. Serbia, according to European officials, may be ready to join the EU by 2025 as part of the expansion strategy.
While for Serbia and Montenegro there is a green light, Albania, Kosovo, Macedonia and Bosnia and Herzegovina have no hope of getting European Union membership, at least not until 2025, which means that the gateway to the EU will be closed for the next 8 years.
Foreign Minister Bushati also said that EU integration process will take at least 10 other years, while he spoke at the meeting of the foreign ministers in the region./KLAN PLUS
