By Ledion Krisafi
TIRANA, Dec. 2 – In these times of trouble for the European Union, it is important to maintain the idea of open doors for countries which aspire to become part of the EU. This was stressed by the Polish Ambassador in Tirana, Karol Bachura and by Dr. Piotr Bajda, a professor at the Institute of Political Studies at the Catholic University of Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski in Warsaw. Presenting the main priorities of the Polish presidency of the Visegrad Group in a seminar organized by the Albanian Institute for International Studies (AIIS), Bajda said that the Visegrad Group has proved to be a successful organization for the cooperation of the Central European countries, but also for helping those countries in their pre-accession period. It is Poland’s view that the European Union should accept the six Western Balkan countries which are still outside. This is an idea contrary to the one proposed by the older members of the Union which demand the creation of a more technocratic union. The integration of the Western Balkans will ‘close Europe’ as Dr Bajda said. It will create a continent-wide Union. According to Poland’s view this should be the momentary priority of the European Union, because asked about Ukraine, Dr Bajda said that currently the EU integration of Ukraine is not a priority anymore. This integration of the Western Balkan countries, according to the Polish ambassador, would return back the momentum to the European Union. “The question is not if the enlargement will happen,” said Mr. Bachura, ‘but when’.
Citing the Polish Pope John Paul II, the Polish ambassador invoked the idea of the two lungs of Europe, Western Balkans being the second. In this aspect, Europe could not fully breathe if the Western Balkans is not integrated in the European Union.
Composed of Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic, the Visegrad Group was founded in 1991 on an idea from the Czech President at the time Vaclav Havel. The Visegrad Group, according to Dr Bajda, could serve as a good example for the cooperation of the Western Balkan countries. The Polish ambassador described the Visegrad Group and the Western Balkans as an axis of cooperation linking the North and the South part of Europe. Inside the Group Poland has a position of dominance because of its larger population and economy, but the Group is composed in a certain way that Dr Bajda called it ‘leadership without domination.’ The Visegrad Group doesn’t have an administrative framework, doesn’t have a Secretariat or a President. “The weaker the administrative framework,” Dr Bajda said, “the stronger the Visegrad Group is.” The V4 Group, as it is usually called, is an instrument for the four countries which constitute it to present their ideas and positions on certain issues before the European Commission.
Dr Bajda said that the Visegrad Group is a strong voice inside the European Union not only for its members but also for other Central European countries. He mentioned the fact that a lot of times the V4 Group has made meetings with other countries as Romania, Bulgaria or Germany. In this respect, he stressed the fact that the Visegrad Group could serve as a model for the Western Balkan countries which are now creating a common Fund, similar to the Visegrad Fund, which serves for cultural cooperation between its members, but also with other states. A lot of Albanian students have benefited from this Fund to study in one of the V4 countries.
The Polish ambassador described the creation of the Western Balkan Fund as a necessity for a similar cooperation as it is with the V4 countries. The creation of the Visegrad Group helped the 4 countries which constitute it in their road towards the EU and the same thing could happen if the countries of the Western Balkans create a similar cooperation.
Concerning the priorities of the Polish presidency of the Visegrad Group, Dr Bajda mentioned the maintaining of security and stability in the region of Central Europe, creating synergies through extended dialogue and maintaining a strong voice inside the European Union for the common interest of the Visegrad Group countries. The Polish ambassador in Tirana said that these priorities concern not only the member countries of the Visegrad Group but also its cooperation with other countries, especially with the Western Balkans region.
Asked about the relations with Russia and the case of Ukraine, with whom Poland has historical ties, Dr Bajda said that the Visegrad Group until now has maintained the same position concerning Russia as the European Union by applying sanctions against Russia. Concerning Ukraine, he said that the integration of the Western Balkan countries will be a model for Ukraine also.
