EU repeats membership prospects for Western Balkans

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia, Oct. 25 – Countries in the western Balkans _ many of them formerly part of Yugoslavia _ are getting support for their efforts to join the European Union.
Foreign ministers of four Eastern European EU members say they favor the EU aspirations of Albania, Bosnia, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Kosovo.
The foreign ministers of Slovakia, Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland called last week Friday at a meeting in Slovakia on the western Balkans countries to solve their problems with each other _ a condition for membership. They said EU-sponsored talks between Kosovo and Serbia should start “without delay.”
They said in a statement that EU entry talks with Croatia should be completed next year, when Hungary and Poland will hold the EU’s rotating presidency.
At the same time the European Union has called on the Western Balkan countries for internal cooperation among themselves if they want speedy accession to the 27-nation bloc.
Sucha call was made last week from European Council President Herman Van Rompuy who made a visit to these countries saying the EU was extremely concerned about the region’s stability and security as well as future.
Van Rompuy’s comments came after his meeting with Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha in Tirana. This was his second Balkan nations’ tour since assuming the post in December. He also called on Croatia, Montenegro, Albania, Bosnia, Serbia, Macedonia and Kosovo to jointly work to push reforms in their countries.
Croatia is likely to get EU membership in 2012. Serbia, Montenegro, Albania and Macedonia are also seeking membership.
All Balkan nations’ EU accession drive received a boost from Greece with only one exception – Macedonia, with which Greece has a naming dispute. Greece supports the others chances of joining the EU and wants them to be part of the bloc before the centenary of the start of World War One in 2014.
But the EU does not consider their accession before 2018.
During his stop in Bosnia, Rompuy called on the region’s leaders to seek quick reforms and to cooperate with other regional neighbors for quick EU integration. He said the Balkan countries could not be successful until Bosnia and Herzegovina talk with a single vote to join the bloc.